I thought I read somewhere that when astronauts removed the ACES helmet it often exacerbated space sickness.
ACES (Advanced Crew Escape Suit)-the orange suit worn during shuttle launches
Is there anything that backs up this claim?
$\begingroup$
$\endgroup$
2
-
3$\begingroup$ They took off the helmet just after MECO, which is right when they enter free fall. Correlation / causation? $\endgroup$– Organic MarbleCommented Jun 13, 2019 at 17:10
-
1$\begingroup$ See my answer here $\endgroup$– DiggerCommented Jun 15, 2019 at 15:28
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
$\begingroup$
$\endgroup$
I just went to an astronaut talk (Mark Polansky). The action of talking off the ACES suit neck ring was what exacerbated the sickness. The interior of the suit, like other pressure suits, is a rubbery material. Quoting him directly, “it felt like being born again”. Think of the feeling of taking off a tight, sweaty shirt over your head, then make it five times worse.
This combined with experiencing zero gravity for the first time was nauseating.
You can see the neck dam, held away from the neck by velcro tabs when the helmet is removed, in this picture.
answered Jun 14, 2019 at 5:15