Sunday, October 2, 2022

The Complexities Of Living In A Space Environment

The displays go into detail in this part of the Museum on how life unfolds during a mission to the International Space Station. Astronauts will be spending months together. A microgravity environment makes for interesting adjustments in how you do literally everything. Need to shave? Get used to a razor that doubles as a vacuum cleaner, for instance, sucking up all your stray stubble. 


Brushing your teeth or shampooing your hair requires adjustments all their own. 


What we deem simple tasks can mess around with the machinery of the ISS, hence being very careful about what you do and how you do it.


Mission control includes doctors; while astronauts receive a certain amount of training, any real emergency would require evacuation of a patient to the Earth via a Soyuz capsule.


This is the personal hygiene kit of Robert Thirsk, a Canadian astronaut.


There's even a contemporary space suit on display.


When you're not working or sleeping, you have free time on the ISS. Some of that is spent in exercise. Some of it is just spent in relaxation.


NASA commissioned a Canadian company, Larrivee Guitars, to make a smaller guitar for the ISS. This is a reproduction of the one that has its home in the ISS.


Eating in space is a challenge in and of itself.

36 comments:

  1. Five, six people living in close proximity for months… What happens when psychological and interpersonal stresses start? I know they are trained to deal with these situations and there are people helping them back on Earth, still…

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  2. Like the header... It looks so familiar...

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  3. A guitar in the ISS! Imagine what Chris Hadfield would do with a grand piano.

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  4. Very cool! Funny coincidence, I have the same theme on today.
    Very cool - it is another world!

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  5. I wonder if the astronauts snore in space. I mean those who are snorers on Earth. It seems zero gravity was cure that.

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  6. @Catarina: keeping up morale is a critical element of an ISS mission to mitigate that sort of thing.

    @italiafinlandia: they are.

    @Ingo: a concerto in zero gravity.

    @Iris: thank you.

    @Sandi: who knows?

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  7. It seems like a very challenging environment. Even with the wondrous views they must experience I think I will stay down to earth.

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  8. Yes, I can imagine that even the most routine of tasks has to be a well thought-out activity in zero gravity.

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  9. Nice to see André Kuipers doing his hair and Chris Hadfield with his guitar.

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  10. @Joan: they definitely have wonderous views.

    @Francisco: thanks.

    @David: definitely.

    @Gemel: it is, yes.

    @Jan: they're good candid shots.

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  11. ...I think that it's complex enough to live on earth.

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  12. I didn't know they had a guitar up there! That's fun.

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  13. I can't imagine what it would be like with no gravity.

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  14. Sounds interesting aboard the ISS. I wonder if there is a guitar player up there that actually can play it without annoying the others.

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    1. If they refrain from playing certain ear worm songs.

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  15. So informative and fascinating ~ great photos too!

    Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,

    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  16. Guitars in space… what would you play? “Ground control to Major Tom,” perhaps?

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  17. So many young people are interested a this life!

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  18. You have to be a special kind of person to be able to do that. Rick and I get stir crazy in the same cottage with each other over any length of time and we'd go bonkers if he couldn't get out and ride his bike or I couldn't swim or walk!

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  19. so fun, i love it. we were watching ...it might have been on Disney Plus ...about the American 1 who had been training for years and then suddenly got his goal to get to the moon and it was so awesome for him. glad he got the chance after putting in the effort to learn or do the job he did wanna do his whole life. it was not his first desire ...middle age he started the journey. so great ...loved the watch. thanks, for sharing this similar journey. ( ;

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  20. I always thought a space guitar would be a strat or a fender playing like George Jetson, modern jazz. Astronauts really are nerds aren't they?

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  21. I wonder how many times I mean to say, I like the new header. And forget to do so! Old age...

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    1. Thanks! It'll be around awhile. Not planning on changing it until mid-December.

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