What is it like to be an astronaut and live on an International Space Station 400 km from Earth?

400 kilometers above the planet’s surface Land fleet International Space Station (ISS) , an orbiting research center that has become home to two astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore until next 2025.

The two researchers were supposed to spend only eight days at the station. Their spaceship was no longer safe for their return to Earth, so the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) decided to delay his return.

And while to the average human – who doesn’t fly in space – this may seem like a dire situation, the reality is that The two astronauts are sheltered in a fairly comfortable place.

The space station is a bit like a six-bedroom house, where different scientists and researchers live for short or long periods of time. Williams even said that He is in his “happy place”.

So how do astronauts live in space? What’s it like to be there, floating above the planet? What do they do and eat on a daily basis? What does space smell like?

At 6:30 a.m., the astronauts on the International Space Station begin to wake up. Their rooms are the size of a phone booth and they sleep in sleeping bags that NASA astronaut Nicole Scott says are “the best sleeping bag in the world.”

Scott spoke with the BBC and said he had spent 104 days in space during two space missions in 2009 and 2011.

In these small rooms, They have their own laptop with internet so they can stay in touch with family and friends. They may also carry photographs and books to pass the time when they are not working.

To go to the toilet, they have a small compartment which works with a suction system.

And even though so far everything seems “tight” and the space is small, the reality is that This station is the size of Buckingham Palace or an American football field.

“It’s big and quiet” “Expedition 35 commander astronaut Chris Hadfield said in a statement. BBC World. “People don’t rush into the station.”

And astronauts usually work most of the day: They have six complete experimental laboratories, in which astronauts use brain, heart or blood monitors to measure their health in the difficult situation of being outside the confines of Earth.

“We are like lab rats. “Space accelerates the aging process of bones and muscles and scientists can learn from that,” said researcher Stott.

And even if the work is generally done within the station, There are some “lucky” people who are chosen by Earth headquarters to go on a spacewalk.

Hadfield lived this experience and assured that “Those 15 hours outside, with nothing between me and the universe but my plastic visor, were as exhilarating and otherworldly as any other 15-hour experience in my life.”

It was in this situation that Hadfield experienced something very special: the smell of space.

“On Earth we have many different smells, like clothes fresh out of the washing machine or fresh air. But in space there is only one smell and you quickly get used to it.” said Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut to spend eight days on the Soviet space station Mir in 1991.

As both describe it, space has a metallic smell.

This would be generated by the reaction of space suits and scientific objects with the strong radiation of space.

After a long day of work, Astronauts must exercise: They are required to exercise two hours a day. To do this, they have three machines that help protect their bones, because the weightlessness of space reduces bone density.

One of them helps them do squats, deadlifts and rows, another works like a bike for resistance training and they also have treadmills for running.

Stott said that In order to run in space, they have to be tied with ropes so they don’t fly away.

After exercising, we usually end up sweating. What do astronauts do to clean up after exercise?

The astronaut explained that on Earth, gravity causes sweat to flow throughout the body. However, In space, sweat stays on the body, making it more “wet.” And if they shook it, that sweat would “fly everywhere.”

However, at the station they do not have any detergent, but “only water that forms into drops and soap.” So, Since the clothes are very dirty and sweaty, they have to be disposed of by a cargo vehicle which then burns them in the atmosphere.

Fortunately, It’s not the same with everyday clothes.

“In zero gravity, clothes float on the body, so body oils and everything else don’t affect it. I only had one pair of pants for three months.

ButWhat astronauts usually have problems with is their daily diet.

Stott told the BBC that Eating in space was complicated.

“When someone opened a can of meat and sauce, for example, everyone was on the lookout because little balls of fat would come out. . People were floating backwards, like in the movie. Matrixto avoid meatballs of meat juice.

Generally, The food for astronauts on the space station is reconstituted and packaged in parcels, classified according to country of origin.

“It was like camping food or army rations. “It was good, but it could be healthier” Stott remembers: “My favourites were Japanese curries or Russian cereals and soups.

However, whenever someone from Earth arrives at the station to resupply food, clothing and equipment, He usually brings gift packages that families send to astronauts: they sometimes contain treats, such as chocolates.

“It’s a life-changing moment.” » Hadielfd assured. “When you look out from the International Space Station into the eternity of the universe, you see this little bubble of life, a microcosm of human creativity in the darkness.”

Indeed, when the astronauts have finished working, training and eating and it is time to go to sleep, It is difficult to fall asleep because “most people are glued to the window, staring at the Earth.”

“I felt very insignificant in the vastness of space. Seeing the Earth so clearly, the clouds and the swirling oceans, made me think about the geopolitical boundaries we construct and how we are actually completely interconnected.” Sharman said.

What isand the noise inside the station is not so peaceful: the ship has fans that run day and night so that the astronauts can breathe . The background noise is similar to “a very noisy office.”

And coexistence between astronauts is important: NASA takes care to select candidates who are tolerant, relaxed, calm and good at teamwork, in order to reduce the risk of conflict.

With all this history, the three astronauts told BBC that Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, the astronauts who are scheduled to remain on the station until 2025, are definitely not “trapped” or in a bad situation.

Moreover, “The greatest gift you can give a professional astronaut is to allow him to stay longer.” Hadfield concluded.