Questions tagged [astronaut-lifestyle]
Questions regarding how astronauts live in space, including day to day activities, chores, etc.
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How many printed novels have been in space to date?
I am talking about actual novels brought for recreational purposes. As in manuals don't count. Also, I would like to know who and on what mission these were brought.
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Did any astronauts smoke within a spacecraft while in space?
A recent question yielded the image below that appears to show Buzz Aldrin smoking a pipe in space. Is there any confirmation that the contents of the pipe were ignited or was he just posing with it ...
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Were any of the Apollo astronauts smokers and did that cause any problems?
Onboard the Apollo capsule, the astronauts probably weren’t allowed to smoke because of the risk. Apollo 1 blew up because of a small spark in a pure oxygen environment. Even though NASA changed the ...
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World's most expensive space cookie? (What am I looking at, object identification, rivets and all)
On the NPR page Our Favorite Things, Short Wave-style there is an image whose caption reads
Earlier this month, crew aboard the International Space Station received a a novel item in their cargo re-...
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Indoor games played by Astronauts in Manned spacecrafts [closed]
What are the possible indoor games can be played by Astronauts on Spacecrafts as part of recreation?
Playing cards, Chess, Table tennis, Scrabble etc.
Since no gravity in space, there could be limited ...
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First space phlebotomy? When was the first human veinous blood sample taken in space?
phlebotomists are (nearly always) highly skilled people who safely and relatively painlessly poke our veins with big needles, take blood samples, then ask us to "press here". The process is ...
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Are all modern astronauts at least passable phlebotomists?
phlebotomists are (nearly always) highly skilled people who safely and relatively painlessly poke our veins with big needles, take blood samples, then ask us to "press here". The process is ...
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Do astronauts play reduced gravity sports when folks on Earth aren't watching? Ever quasi-regularly? If so, what sports?
Astronauts on space stations routinely do things for their own entertainment and also things for public outreach/entertainment of folks on Earth.
Videos below are examples.
But I'm curious about any ...
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Cats and dogs in microgravity; how much information is there on their locomotive ability or adaptability in space? Is there anything at all?
Cats and dogs are both known to be very popular pets for humans around the world and have been bred for thousands of years for this purpose.
Destin Sandlin's Slow Motion Flipping Cat Physics | Smarter ...
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What animals would be best suited as pets or comfort animals for extended periods of spaceflight in microgravity?
Various scenarios that put more or less every folks in space for extended periods of time in microgravity in the future have been proposed, mostly based on space tourism but there could be ...
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What electronic game was first to be played in space?
Analogously to What card or board game was first played in space? I'd like to ask what electronic game was first to be played in space.
It could be a handheld dedicated game or something running on a ...
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Why did tests in space of refrigerators of the type we use at home fail? How many were tried?
Phys.org's To give astronauts better food, engineers test a fridge prototype in microgravity says:
Astronauts have been going to space since 1961, but they still don't have a refrigerator to use for ...
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What are the average masses of male and female astronauts respectively?
Considering that each pound/kilogram costs a vast amount of fuel to put into orbit/get to the moon or Mars, it might make sense to use jockey-sized people or even midgets as astronauts. They might be ...
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How do modern "space windows" protect from dangerous UV? Is it simply the type of glass, or are there coatings or filters also?
Answer(s) to Did Valentin Lebedev or any another Salut cosmonaut actually get suntanned for fun and/or for science? explain that at least a few Salut cosmonauts "experimented" with getting ...
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Did Valentin Lebedev or any another Salut cosmonaut actually get suntanned for fun and/or for science?
A comment below Did Salyuts have windows? links to Soviet Space Stations as Analogs, Second Edition (Doc. ID 19870012563, Contractor Report) which contains:
...the various aspects of the Soviet ...
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What have astronauts used rolls of Kapton tape for?
An image (also below) in an answer to the question "How often is duct tape used during crewed space missions?" shows a roll of the gray stuff next to a roll of Kapton tape, aboard the ...
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Has an astronaut ever gone into a docked capsule to take a photo out one of its windows?
A discussion below this answer to Did anybody on the ISS photograph this partial eclipse? How long did it last? How did they safely photograph it? has me wondering if astronauts can ever see "up&...
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Did anybody on the ISS photograph this partial eclipse? How long did it last? How did they safely photograph it?
Thanks to @gerrit's comment I have "irrefutable photographic circumstantial evidence" that the ISS (probably) passed through the penumbra of a partial solar eclipse. I know this is true ...
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Astronauts make a lot of CH₄ and some H₂ as well; do space capsules and space stations have systems to remove these?
While not as much as ruminants, humans emit methane, CH4, natural gas, etc. regularly. While it is less known, we can also emit hydrogen as H2.
What are the sources of molecular hydrogen in human ...
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How far are space-walking helmet faceplates from the eyes? How far will I have to hold my "space binoculars" from my eyes during a space walk?
I'm on a space walk and comet Kohoutek is passing by and I've brought my specially designed space binoculars with me to look at it.
I left my Nikon Monarch 8x42 binoculars inside because with an eye ...
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Do ISS crew have the opportunity to take daily naps if they'd like to?
Could "days" on the space Station be made shorter to accomodate sleep patterns? raises an interesting point. I've often heard that for some astronauts they never really were able to sleep as ...
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What happens if you jump on a "spin ship"?
If you're on a spin ship, or rotating wheel space station, and you jump, then you're no longer being accelerated by the rotation. What would happen?
First, I'll establish some terms to make discussing ...
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Do astronauts on ISS notice Earth's seasons?
Has anyone stationed on the ISS for some months reported noticing the changing seasons on Earth in any way like people on the surface do, subconsciously without needing to look up numbers for anything?...
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How are astronaut nametags printed when their family name is first?
It is traditional in English and Russian to print a person's given name before their family name. However, there are some languages where that order is reversed.
When flying on an American or Russian ...
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How do US citizens vote in space?
Astronaut Kate Rubins tweeted that she has voted while being on the ISS:
How does that work? Did she have some paperwork with her that she can send down to earth with a spacecraft soon? The ...
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Who transliterates non-Russian names into Russian for space-suit name tags?
Many, many astronauts have gone on to be wonderful orators, educators, advocates for science, education and positive thinking, Major Tom Colonel (ret) and (fmr) ISS Commander Chris Hadfield is just ...
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Can they still make espresso on the ISS? If so, with what?
This comment suggests that the origional ISSpresso machine may no longer be running on the ISS.
Is that so? If so, can they still make espresso on the ISS? If both are so, with what do they make it?
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Is there really microfilm on the Moon?
A comment below this answer to Disc mounted on lunar rover? suggests that
...a number of documented microfilms that were on the Apollo missions.
meaning I presume that bits of microfilm were ...
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Why did the Apollo capsule have seats if the astronauts never were sitting in it?
The Apollo capsule had three lying seats on its bottom, but the astronauts actually never sat in the capsule: during launch, reentry and in the ocean the astronauts were lying down, while in space ...
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How often has the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy been in space?
I came across an answer saying that a copy of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy was sent to space in Elon Musks roadster (in 2018).
Has the book been in space before that (maybe taken to the ISS by ...
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What happens to astronaut sweat on the ISS?
Does perspiration from the astronauts aboard the ISS stick to the skin, evaporate or somehow float away from the skin?
Is the part of the sweat that sticks to an astronaut's skin kept there until they ...
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Are there any superstitions practiced in space?
I know there are many superstitious rituals practiced on the ground before liftoff. A well known superstition/tradition is urinating on the rear right tire of the vehicle bringing cosmonauts and ...
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Taking custom software or hardware to the ISS
Before departing to the ISS, astronauts are allowed to pack some personal objects to be taken with them (see other question about packing).
What if an astronaut had some self-written software (for ...
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Riding a bike on the moon
I noticed that some astronauts do things in space they always wanted to do - like Chris Hadfield playing the guitar on the ISS.
I (like many other children ^^) wanted to become an astronaut pretty ...
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Are there really "Dead End" signs on the outside of the International Space Station?
This question currently links to the NASA video Expedition 63 Inflight interview with Yahoo Finance KPRC TV - July 24, 2020 at 07:46 where a few seconds later ...
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What are the most commonly consumed solid foods on the space station and why?
Clearly, an astronaut’s diet varies from day to day to ensure proper health while in space. And depending on the astronaut’s place of origin, preferences, and availability, their choice of foods ...
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What do astronauts do to pass time on the way to the ISS?
After watching those astronauts wait in the dragon capsule for so long on Tuesday, I started to wonder what do they do on the long trip to the space station? Can they get out of their seats? Are there ...
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Can you buy land (while) in space?
The question Can you buy land on the moon? does not ask about being on the Moon and purchasing land on Earth, so I thought I'd ask here instead.
Can astronauts in space buy and sell property on Earth ...
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Have military rations ever been supplied to crews in space?
Most space food has been specially designed preserved food to meet concerns specific to space flight.
Has any space program supplied MREs or other rations from their military for astronauts?
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Did astronaut Scott Kelly eat cake in space?
From what I understand and remember the first cookies baked in space were returned to Earth for testing and I think part of the reason that no cookies baked on the ISS's oven could be eaten is that ...
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Was there really a shuttle toilet training device with a "boresight camera"?
Was there really a shuttle toilet training device with a camera looking up at the user's fundament? This seems a bit undignified to say the least.
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Exactly how does one lope on the Moon?
This answer includes several quotes from apollo astronauts that have walked on the moon. They describe a form of bipedal locomotion they call loping.
Question: Exactly how does one lope on the Moon? ...
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Does space sickness determine when astronauts have their last meal?
During the shuttle program how long before launch would an astronaut eat? With almost 50% of astronauts experiencing space adaptation syndrome, and the possibility of vomiting, did the astronauts ...
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How was the deep blue colour of these astronaut "jump suits" selected?
I've seen most of the time Astronauts and/or Cosmonauts wearing blue coloured clothes either on Earth or in the ISS. Is there any specific reason for the choice of this colour? I think it's to show ...
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Do astronauts use their toes to grip with in zero gravity?
Feet and toes are not usually as dexterous as hands and fingers but they can grip and hold things. With training and practice they can be like third and fourth hands. Are there any astronauts who make ...
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Did Apollo leave poop on the moon?
If you google the question, you will find an abundance of sources discussing the alleged fact that the Apollo missions left bags of fecal matter on the moon. A conversation on reddit got me looking ...
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Who was the first person to shave in space?
A quick internet search shows that Apollo 11 astronauts shaved, but there were some Apollo missions earlier than that were also of similar week-like duration and the Soviet Union had astronauts in ...
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What are/were the Customs requirements for astronauts?
When the Apollo 11 astronauts returned to US territory they famously went through US Customs where they listed "moon" as part of their flight routing:
Was that a one-off?
What are procedures today? ...
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Are there foods that astronauts are explicitly never allowed to eat?
Is any substance strictly forbidden for astronauts in space, because it may dehydrate, cause intestinal problems or other ailments/threats to systems if improperly handled? Anything someone may ingest ...
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Is the new RGB solid state LED lighting on the ISS ever used to produce colors other than white?
This answer to Why are these astronauts green? explains the new (now about 2 years old) solid state (LED) lighting modules being added to ISS interior lighting, replacing the fluorescent lights (see ...
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