24 Hours in the Life of an Astronaut

1. They work from 6 am- 9.30 pm

(Image/ Source: theguardian.com)You might think you work hard, but astronauts work from 6 am-9.30 pm on the International Space Station. That’s a long day! Apparently, every five mins on the International Space Station is carefully coordinated to keep the astronauts on schedule, who work on everything from experiments to craft maintenance.

2. They have to wash their hair in a different way

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An astronaut cleans up for the day using what NASA

calls “rinse less” shampoo, which was originally developed for hospital patients who were unable to take a shower. With help from a little bit of water, astronauts comb the no-rinse shampoo through their hair to get it nice and clean since there are no actual showers in space.

3. And use a very special toilet

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This can take a fair bit longer than it would on Earth as there’s a LOT of equipment. The toilet works like a vacuum cleaner that sucks waste into a commode. The goes into a special wastewater tank that the astronauts need to clean on a regular basis. Astronauts even have training on this before they go into space!

4. Reporting for duty

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Each astronaut begins their day by reporting for duty. They work alongside NASA to carry out science experiments and research tasks, and monitor projects that are controlled from the ground. The astronauts also take part in medical experiments to figure out how well their bodies adjust to living in space for long periods of time.

5. Cleaning tasks

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When they’re not busy carrying out research and experiments, the astronauts need to keep the International Space Station in tip-top shape. Which means an awful lot of cleaning! Crew members are tasked with regularly checking support systems, cleaning filters, updating computer equipment, and even taking the rubbish out.

6. Meal preparation

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Eating food is a fine art in space. For something simple like a brownie or an apple, it’s fairly easy. But for messy meals like spaghetti or mac and cheese, things can get a little tricky! Water needs to be added to the dehydrated food before it’s put in the oven, which is first cooked on earth. Astronauts need to be careful though, as there’s a chance the food may float right across the spacecraft.

7. Exercise

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It’s essential that astronauts dedicated some of their time to fitness too. On average, astronauts exercise about two hours per day to prevent bone and muscle loss while living in microgravity. Astronauts who would spend a long time in space and wouldn’t train would lose a lot of the muscle they built on Earth, which would leave them feeling pretty weak when they returned home!

8. Spacewalks

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Spacewalking is a type of extravehicular activity, which is carried out by an astronaut outside the spacecraft. Astronauts do this to fix and maintain the spacecraft, and conduct experiments on how the body responds to space. Astronauts need a LOT of advanced training to do this as it's pretty dangerous.

9. Sleep

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Astronauts may not have beds like they do on Earth, but they still get their full eight hours of sleep. They cosy up in their sleeping bags, which are attached to the wall of their personal cabin. This stops them from floating away! I

f they have trouble sleeping, astronauts can also spend that scheduled time chatting if they have a computer in their sleep quarters or reading if they have books.

10. They make time for fun

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All of the above sounds like pretty hard work. But astronauts get to do fun things too! A lot of their experiments rely on using toys to see how the lack of gravity affects them. NASA also gives the astronauts lots of breaks too, which allows them to spend time in their cabins playing instruments, or watching films.

11. They can chat to their families

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Communication is super important for the astronauts while they’re in space. Which is why NASA gives each astronaut time to speak to their families on a regular basis. But this can become much trickier than on Earth, because the further out you travel in space, the more issues you have with communication! For example, it could take 20 minutes to send or receive a message between Earth and Mars.

12. They get the weekends off

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While the work up on the International Space Station is pretty tough, the astronauts still get weekends off to recharge after a busy week. While they’re quite limited on what they can do, astronauts definitely make the most of their time by cooking and playing games together. They can also spend time looking at the Earth from the observation window.

13. Reporting to NASA

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It’s important for the astronauts to keep in touch with NASA as often as they can. They need to exchange information on experiments and observations, and work together to complete their missions. NASA also provide the astronauts with their day-to-day instructions, as well as news and updates from Earth.

14. They can be in space for up to six months

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The average mission length for astronauts travelling to the International Space Station is usually six months or 182 days. But this can vary depending on the project in question. Mission lengths also differ for any kind of space travel that doesn’t involve the ISS. For example, the Apollo 11 mission to the moon was just 8 days!

15. They can sometimes carry out medical research

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Astronauts have a lot of projects to keep track of- and they’re now making advances in medical research too! For example, advances have been made in saliva testing to detect active viruses which allow for faster, less-invasive testing. Astronauts have also started to find better treatments for diseases such as cancer and muscular dystrophy.

16. And watch amazing sunrises and sunsets while doing it

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A popular pastime in space is simply looking out the window- and we completely understand why! Inside the International Space Station, crew members have numerous windows they can look out of. Sunsets and sunrises over Earth are pretty spectacular, and occur every 45 minutes above Earth's atmosphere.

17. They need to check their support systems

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Every day, crew members need to check the safety of the craft. They constantly check support systems and cleaning filters, and update computer equipment on a regular basis. This is why NASA sends lots of engineers and IT experts up to the International Space Station, as they’ve got the skills to keep the craft in tip-top shape.

18. They grow plants

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The astronauts spend time growing plants and flowers- and there are a few reasons for that! They brighten up the craft and make it feel more like Earth, but they are also grown as an experiment for NASA. They want to see if fresh fruit and vegetables can be grown in a closed environment without sunlight or the Earth’s gravity.

19. They keep track of their food supplies

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Crew members need to monitor absolutely everything in space- including their food supplies. NASA provides the astronauts with a pretty varied supply of food; fruits, nuts, peanut butter, chicken, beef, seafood, sweets, and brownies. There’s only a certain amount for the mission though, so the astronauts need to ration this carefully.

20. And check that food hasn't contaminated their equipment

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While a lot of the astronauts’ food is dehydrated, there are a lot of items that are still in liquid form. Which means the spacecraft can get super messy! Astronauts can still condiments with their food, like ketchup and mayonnaise, but they need to clean equipment immediately after eating as there is a danger it could clog air vents.

21. They have to deal with motion sickness

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Before they leave Earth, astronauts go through strict motion sickness training to prepare them for life in space. But they can still struggle with the effects during their mission! Crew members have access to medicine and tablets to combat motion sickness if they need it so they can continue to perform their duties.

22. Get clean

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As water doesn’t flow in space, it can be difficult to keep clean. Instead of taking a shower, astronauts clean themselves with damp towels containing liquid soap. They can also rub themselves down with alcohol, which is released in a tube. After washing, they use a clean dry towel as they would on Earth.

23. They have to brush their teeth in a special way

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It won’t surprise you to learn that astronauts don’t brush their teeth in the same way they do on Earth. First, the astronaut attaches their toothpaste tube to a nearby wall. With the toothbrush in one hand and the drink pouch in the other, they squeeze a small bead of water from the pouch while they glide their toothbrush over it. The toothbrush then instantly sucks up the water.

24. They need earplugs

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While the crew members have a chance to get their full eight hours of sleep, it’s not always easy. The constant noise of the equipment, fans and air filters has led to some astronauts claiming that duty on a space station to living inside a giant vacuum cleaner! So most crew members generally sleep with earplugs in.

25. They dispose of their clothes

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The crew members actually wear disposable clothes during their time on a spacecraft. These clothes generally get replaced once every three days or so, so they need to make sure they keep them as clean as possible during that time. This is because washing machines don’t currently work in space right now.

26. Shaving can be difficult

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Wet shaving is a bit of a task in space. Surface tension generally keeps water and shaving cream stuck to an astronaut's face, while cream and stubble stick to the razor blade until wiped on a towel. The towel then needs to be wrapped up to stop the residue from escaping! Electric shaving is also possible, although it has to be done next to a suction fan to ensure the hairs don't float away.

27. Monitoring oxygen levels

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Every day, astronauts need to assess oxygen levels. To minimise the need to resupply, the International Space Station’s life-support systems are designed to recycle as much as possible. Waste water from urine and moisture condensed from the air is either purified and reused direct, or broken down by electrolysis to provide fresh oxygen.

28. They need to move heavy equipment

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Things might weigh less in space, but moving heavy equipment can still be difficult. Objects don’t lose their mass in space, so moving objects from one end of the craft to another can be pretty exhausting! Astronauts have to pull and push equipment, and often work in strange positions that aren’t that kind to human muscles.

29. They still drink tea and coffee

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Astronauts can still have their usual cups of tea and coffee- but this isn’t like Starbucks! This tea and coffee come packed and dehydrated or freeze-dried so that it doesn’t ruin the spacecraft. Crew members just need to add a little warm water to their coffee and tea packages, which is pretty similar to how they prepare their food.

30. They need to work as a team

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Teamwork, planning, and communication are crucial on the International Space Station because something could go wrong at any moment. Everyone needs to be on the same page and needs to have a clear understanding of how they are going to complete their work. And considering they’re so much time together, it’s really important that they all get on well!