Astronaut Sunita “Suni” Williams and Butch Wilmore just lately made it again to Earth after their journey to area was unceremoniously stretched out to 9 months.
Have you ever ever puzzled how precisely astronauts dwell within the Worldwide Area Station? Nicely, Williams is right here to quench that curiosity, displaying how astronauts dwell, work, and even use the toilet in microgravity.
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From floating whereas sleeping to ingesting water bubbles whereas brushing tooth, life in area is not like something on Earth.
Sleeping in area: No beds, no gravity
The sleeping quarters on the ISS are compact but purposeful. In an previous video of the area station, Williams explains:
“4 out of six of us sleep right here, and folks at all times ask—do you lie down? Are you in a mattress? Probably not, as a result of it doesn’t matter! You don’t have the feeling of mendacity down. You simply get in your sleeping bag.”
Every astronaut has a small, cellphone booth-like Sleep Station geared up with a sleeping bag and private objects like books, computer systems, and garments. Not like Earth, there’s no “proper facet up” in area, so astronauts can sleep in any orientation—even the other way up!
How do astronauts use the toilet?
One of the frequent questions on area journey is: how do astronauts go to the toilet? Williams offers a humorous but informative reply:
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“For quantity two, there’s a small seat—you want good purpose! And for primary, we use this hose. It’s colour-coded, so we don’t combine issues up. And each have suction to verify every little thing goes in the proper route!”
To forestall floating waste, the ISS bathroom makes use of a vacuum suction system. Astronauts even have varied choices for bathroom paper, from Russian wipes to disinfectant towels.
“Rest room paper? Now we have completely different choices! Russian wipes, tissues, Huggies—simply in case—and disinfectant wipes, as a result of, nicely, issues can get uncontrolled!,” Williams says.
Brushing tooth in microgravity
Brushing tooth in area is surprisingly completely different. Since water doesn’t move because it does on Earth, astronauts should get inventive:
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“Toothpaste sticks to the comb, and so does water—it types a floating bubble due to floor rigidity. You possibly can both swallow the toothpaste (not really helpful at residence!) or spit it right into a paper towel.”
Water clings to surfaces, forming little blobs, and astronauts use that to rinse their toothbrushes.
Consuming in area: Floating meals & dehydrated meals
The kitchen is the place astronauts collect to eat. The ISS is stocked with a mixture of American, Russian, and Japanese area meals. Some meals come dehydrated and should be rehydrated with water, whereas others might be heated and eaten usually.
“We get meals from throughout—American, Russian, Japanese, and even particular treats from residence. My household despatched up Fluff so I may make my favourite Fluffernutter sandwich with peanut butter!,” Williams exclaimed.
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Astronauts take pleasure in a wide range of meals, together with meats, greens, snacks, and even sweet.
Williams’ tour provides a uncommon glimpse into astronaut life, displaying how they eat, sleep, and preserve hygiene in a zero-gravity surroundings. 🚀