Working in space is more than swimming in microgravity. Astronauts train intensely and not only use advanced equipment to survive, but also do advanced scientific research. Given the difficulties, how do they pull it?
A astronaut workplace
In the International Space Station (ISS) space, a workplace and astronauts on a long -term mission in space, revolving 250 miles above the Earth. If you want to take a look then you can track and see yourself
Like a house on Earth, the ISS is equipped with both living and working areas. This is a unique environment where microgravity is a continuous factor that affects every aspect of daily life. According to NASAThe ISS is larger than the six-bedroom house with six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, a gym and a 360 degree scene be window.
Astronauts working on ISS usually get 8 hours of sleep after 16 hours of working day. They also get a sleep mask and earplugs to cancel any distraction.
Although they usually work up to 16 hours, they are “on calls” for 24 hours. In addition to working on research and experiments, astronauts are also responsible for maintaining ISS. This includes updating the equipment, checking the station system and even getting rid of waste.
Due to the effects of microgravity, it is also really important to secure the space on the ISS. Astronauts do not want their equipment to float around while working. Therefore hook-end-loop fasteners (Velcro) are widely used.
For astronauts who need to do a task outside the boundaries of the ISS, teathers are used to secure an astronaut, while they perform spacewalks to stay connected to the station.
Space
Staying in space not only affects the physical characteristics of the body due to microgravity, but also mental and emotional tolls. There are some psychological effects of living in a small space structure like ISS; Away from friends and family, living in areas limited to months finally, can be emotionally challenging.
Astronauts develop muscle and bone loss as a result of microgravity. The aging at the cellular level causes the stresses in space, as well as intensifying. There is more radiation in space, which can also have both short -term and long -term health risks.
After living most of its adults on Earth, where gravity is a natural part of everyday existence, it takes a few days to adjust their body while working in space (but it takes more time to adjust when they come back home).
Daily exercise routine
Do you know that astronauts need to exercise about two hours daily using stable bikes, aerobic practice and resistance training? Daily tasks of astronauts include maintenance activities and conducting scientific experiments, so it is important to maintain both physical and mental welfare.
The daily exercise routine is to prevent the deteriorating musculoskeletal. Resistance is done using training Advanced resistance exercise equipment Which was developed to use in microgravity. It consists of two vacuum cylinders to generate resistance and behave on earth like a weight-lifting machine.
Another good thing about this is that it provides real -time response to astronauts during exercise, and then that data is then sent to NASA physiologist, who sends back to individual exercise routines and monitoring astronauts. Actually like a cool space individual trainer.
Video calls in space
When it comes to mental welfare, it takes time for astronauts to call their loved ones back home.
Internet is available on ISS, but it is slightly different how it is back to Earth. It uses a data relay system through satellites to connect to a ground-based network, so astronauts can make video calls almost anyone on Earth. Sure, there may be a slight delay, but it still works well. In fact, an astronaut can now read this article from space.
The more important communication, such as spacewalk, using the UHF radio system dedicated to communicate with astronaut ISS and other astronauts .. There is also a backup system for communication, which includes many very high-existing (VHF) antennas around the Earth, which can allow only voice communication from space.
What kind of work do they do?
Being an astronaut, it may look like the best work in the world. You may have an image of people floating inside the space station, or a food flying from all sides. But in fact, it is also a complex and dangerous work, which is full of many responsibilities.
Typically, the daily routine of an astronaut is based on a planned and organized program that follows NASA’s mission control purposes that are created in collaboration with other international space agencies worldwide. Space missions are expensive, and it is important to monitor resources and labor efficiently for mission control, and they do this by planning a schedule for minutes.
One of the main functions of astronauts is to conduct scientific research, with possible applications used here on Earth. This includes studies:
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Human physiology (bone loss, vision change, fluid redistribution).
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Material science (how substances behave in microgravity).
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Space therapy (long -term effects of space on health).
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Earth observation (climate studies, weather patterns).
Other tasks include testing new techniques, maintenance and repair on various devices at the space station. It seems that they may also join some horticulture to increase production in space.
Do robots also help?
A technique that operates innovation in space is like semi-late robotic assistants Astrowbe This helps customizing scientific research with their sensors and cameras. It is a free-flying cube-shaped robot that is capable of navigating the loadless environment of ISS. These robots can do regular tasks semi-lover (because they still require some supervision), especially data collections, inventory management and monitoring experiments. This largely helps astronauts focus on more complex functions.
What happens if something goes wrong?
Continuous communication with mission control through video and audio links is absolutely necessary, especially when something goes wrong or does not work expected.
An example of this is the malfunction of the instrument, which is indispensable in the rigid environment of the space (or, well, due to regular software issues). Although in -depth trained with technical troubleshooting and repair, astronauts still require coordination with experts on Earth to efficiently resolve issues. Even in space, you need to deal with troubleshooting software issues.
Crew returns (CRVs) are also used for emergency situations. It is a type of ambulance for space that serves as a backup spacecraft, when astronauts need to return from ISS due to emergency.
The work of astronauts is important. They help widen our current knowledge and understanding about both earth and space. If it is not for space travel then there are also a ton of things. It seems, even in space, you cannot avoid Wi-Fi glitter, software problems and topical floating wrench!