How Astronauts in Space Sleep, Shower, and More

Isabella James, Tech Times 30 November 2021, 06:11 am

The outer space is one of the places that many people dream of getting to, but only a select few actually manage to do so. It has, therefore, become a place that has made a lot of people curious, especially when it comes to how it is like to live in it.

How do astronauts sleep? How do they take a shower? How do they pee? These are probably some of the questions anyone who has been curious about life in outer space has asked. If you are curious about the answers to these questions, here they are:

How Astronauts Eat in Space

How astronauts eat is one of the most frequent questions that is asked of what life is like in outer space.

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), there is actually an oven in the International Space Station (ISS) to reheat food. However, there is no refrigerator aboard the ISS.

Food in space comes in disposable packaging. Certain food such as fruits and brownies can be eaten in their natural form while others, such as spaghetti, require the addition of water. There are condiments aboard the ISS as well but it should be noted that salt and pepper are available only in liquid form.

How Astronauts Pee and Poop in Space

It might be difficult for some to imagine how astronauts pee and poop in space. Believe it or not, however, there is actually a toilet in the ISS. It is not, however, like those we have here on Earth.

According to the University at Buffalo, NASA actually spent $23 million in 2018 on a specially designed vacuum toilet for the ISS.

Per the article, "To pee, they can sit or stand and then hold the funnel and hose tightly against their skin so that nothing leaks out."

In order to poop, the astronaut must lift the lid of the vacuum toilet and sit on the toilet seat, just like what anyone would do with any other toilet. However, the vacuum toilet begins suctioning the moment the lid is lifted so that its contents will not float away.

How Astronauts Shower in Space

Technically, astronauts aboard the ISS do not shower in space the way we do down here on Earth.

"On the ISS, astronauts do not shower but rather use liquid soap, water, and rinseless shampoo," according to the website of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

In 2013, NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg demonstrated in a video how astronauts wash their hair in space.

How Astronauts Sleep in Space

Ever wondered just how astronauts sleep while in space?

According to NASA, astronauts can actually get to sleep in any orientation in space. However, to avoid floating all over the place and risk hitting something or someone else, astronauts have to literally attach themselves to something.

Space station crews sleep in sleeping bags that are located in crew cabins that are big enough for just one person.

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Written by Isabella James