Living in Space
How Astronauts Live and Get Around in Space
Introduction
Have you ever wondered what it is like to be an astronaut? Well, you are about to learn what it is like to eat in space, how to exercise in space, and what a typical day in space is like. Before you learn about these exciting things, you have to know what it is like to become an astronaut. For example, astronauts have to go to a training school run by NASA. Unfortunately, many people who train do not get picked to be astronauts, due to the challenging requirements needed. You have to be between the height of 62 and 75 inches. Also, you need to have 20/20 vision and a bachelor's degree in one of these topics: engineering, biological science, and mathematics. You even need to have spent 1,000 hours in an aircraft. As you see, it is very hard to be an astronaut because there are so many requirements you need to have. Living in space is not as glorified as you may think and takes a lot of hard work! Read on to hear more!
Eating in Space
Do you want to learn about eating in space? Well, you probably think that astronauts have to suck paste like food out of tubes. Actually, the food they eat today is very similar to food on Earth. Also, all of the astronauts' drinks are in squeezable bags. When they squeeze the bag, the water will shoot out into their mouth. Astronauts have to be careful with their food and drinks because, if they don't keep an eye on them, they could float away! All of the food that astronauts eat is loaded up with protein, and the food is made to stay fresh for a long time. When astronauts are going to eat, they have to strap themselves down before they eat. There are over 100 foods that astronauts eat and all of that food is stored in lockers. Every few months, when the astronauts are low on food, a vehicle comes by to deliver the food.
Two astronauts eating hamburgers in space.
Two astronauts eating healthy fruit in space.
Three astronauts drinking water in space.
Movement and Exercise in Space
You are probably wondering how astronauts move around and get exercise in space. Astronauts on the International Space Station, which is where the astronauts get around and live, do three exercises every day. One of the exercises is going on a treadmill, but you can't just have your arms and legs flailing in the air! You have to wear a harness while on the treadmill. Also, they have a weight lifting device that simulates weight lifting. Astronauts have to exercise more than two hours every day because, if they stop exercising, they start to lose bone and muscle mass. Also, an astronaut can get weaker much quicker in space than on earth. Without a healthy body, it will be much harder for astronauts to do missions if they do not stay fit. Moving around in space is actually very similar to being in a swimming pool. There are also many other exercises that astronauts do- check out the video below for more information. Once astronauts are done doing missions in space, they are sent back to Earth. Since they haven't walked in a long time, it can take astronauts nearly a week to start walking again.
How Astronauts Exercise in Space
A Typical Day in Space
Do you know what it is like to live a typical day in space? Here is what life is life step by step on what an astronaut goes through every day. In the morning, astronauts can't take a shower because the water would fly everywhere. So, they take a soapy cloth to clean themselves. Then, astronauts go into the bathroom to brush their teeth because hygiene is important. After this, they eat breakfast like we do, and they prepare for all of the the day's missions. Most of the day, astronauts are fixing things that are broken. Otherwise, they are on missions, like taking pictures of stars and planets and doing research. If astronauts have any extra time on their hands, they can still do their hobbies or look out the window at the planet Earth. Lastly, according to National Geographic, at night astronauts eat dinner and sleep in a sleeping bag that is attached to the wall. A day in space sounds quite exhausting!
Fun Facts
- Astronauts are rich there life time earnings are about $2,902,000
- About 50 years ago space suits costed $1,000,000 dollars imagine how much that costs today.
- The word Astronaut is made up of Greek words that means "space sailor".
- The International Space Station was built by 16 countries.
- The ISS is about as long as a football field
- On the ISS there is a sunrise and a sunset 16 times a day.
- It takes 45 minutes to get into a space suit.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I realized that astronauts don't have an easy job. They actually have one of the hardest jobs there is. For instance, Astronauts have to exercise for more than two hours a day and if they don't they will get weak. Also, you have to be very athletic. It is even hard to just stay clean because at your house you throw trash out in a trash can, but you can't do that in space. I hope you learned that astronauts do not have it easy living in space because they do not, and I hope that you learned a lot about how astronauts live in space.
References
These are all of the books and websites that I used.
- www.Belgiuminspace.com- website
- www.Howstuffworks.com by Watson Stephanie- website
- www.Leriochiao.com- website
- www.nasa.gov- website
- national geographic- article
- www.PopoloMeredithpemag.gov- website
- www.space.com- website
Glossary
International Space Station- The place where astronauts live and do research.
Treadmill- A device that allows you to run and exercise without actually running anywhere.
Harness- A harness keeps you from strapped on to something and from falling off something.
The End
Sorry but this is the end of my smore I hope you learned a lot about living in space.