It’s been 20 years since the International Space Station has become a residence. Since then, we are learning how to spend life in space.
Twenty years ago, the first batch of astronauts was sent to the ISS. Since then, astronomers are sharing information about their life in space. However, the astronauts do not have a comfortable experience up there.
Hollywood has shown that living in space can be enjoyable. There are many space movies like The Space Odyssey, Interstellar, Star Wars, and more. However, these movies do not highlight the dangers in the Cosmos.
In addition to that, life in space is the future of humankind. NASA is working on the commercial space program.
This suggests that soon enough, anyone can go to space and live there. However, everyone should know what they should expect from a life in the cosmos.
The International Space Station
The International Space Station is a laboratory in which many astronauts live. It is orbiting the Earth since 1998.
At first, it was just an observatory. After that, it became a residence for the astronomers.
The International Space Station has five bedrooms and two bathrooms. Also, there is a gym and a big window for observations. The station has six astronauts living inside it.
The International Space Station is not owned by one country. The United States, Russia, Japan, and Europe came together to form this Space Station.
After a fixed time, three astronauts from the ISS come back to Earth. After that, NASA sends the other three astronauts to the ISS.
The International Space Station will never run out of astronauts. Also, there can only be six astronauts, not more, not less.
Life on space
Life in space is very different from life on Earth. Being in zero gravity 24/7 can impact a person’s mental and physical health. Astronauts living on the space shuttle are fully prepared for these changes.
However, any training cannot fully prepare a person for life in space. Not only are there physical challenges but also so emotional challenges. However, the challenges are what make the Cosmos more enjoyable to live in.
The challenges
The first challenge is being in zero gravity all the time. In Zero Gravity, all the bodily fluids shift upwards.
This causes headaches and nausea. After adapting to Zero Gravity, the second challenge is food. Space food is vacuum packed and frozen.
Not only this, but the shifting of fluids can cause loss of taste. This reduces the appetite for many astronauts.
Also, the astronauts need to eat fresh foods in the early stage of the mission. So, there are no new foods in the later stage of the mission.
Lastly, sleep is a significant challenge to overcome. There are no horizontal beds in the Space Station.
The astronaut strapped their sleeping bag to the ceiling or the floor to sleep. All the astronomers have to tuck their arms into the bag to stay in one place.
In conclusion, life in space is not as easy as it looks in films and videos. However, the condition of Earth is not looking quite good nowadays.
Sooner or later, everybody will have to move to another planet. This means that everyone will have to stay in space for once in a while. It is better to know what to expect from that living.
Image courtesy of Jared Owen/YouTube Screenshot