European Area Company (ESA) astronaut Matthias Maurer has shared a video displaying how he prepares for an evening’s sleep aboard the Worldwide Area Station (ISS).
As you may anticipate, the routine is very similar to it’s on Earth — aside from the entire floating round and different challenges brought on by the microgravity situations.
Maurer has been on board the house station for practically six months so has had loads of time to excellent his nighttime routine.
The German’s slumber classes happen in CASA (Crew Alternate Sleep Lodging), positioned within the European Columbus science laboratory module.
“However earlier than he floats into his sleeping bag in there for the evening, Matthias takes a bit of detour to one of many three ‘loos’ at the moment on board the house station,” ESA says in feedback accompanying the video. “Separated from the work areas and put in in numerous modules of the U.S. Orbital Section and Russian segments of the station to permit them some privateness, the astronauts on board share these loos to scrub up, take a ‘bathe’ in house, and brush their enamel.”
Maurer says that he’s in a position to make use of a a lot smaller quantity of toothpaste in house than on Earth, because it foams far more simply than it does on the bottom. As soon as he’s completed brushing his enamel, he spits the froth right into a towel.
“Showering,” as you possibly can see within the video, entails little greater than a moist material, with the shortage of gravity making it not possible to get pleasure from a extra acquainted form of washing expertise.
Viewers may be stunned to see so many liquid droplets floating off as Maurer pours the water onto the fabric and begins washing his face. Requested in a Q&A chunk on his weblog about if the droplets might harm onboard electronics, Maurer assures us that it’s protected.
“The washing areas that we have now are in separate places the place we even have bathe curtains and no important electronics,” the astronaut explains.
“As well as, all digital shops must have caps on them. You’ll by no means go away an digital outlet open, with all of the pins open, in order that fluid or mud can get into it. Nevertheless it’s true, some laptop programs have followers and areas the place liquid could possibly be pulled in, however I feel the number of all of the {hardware} was made in a method to additionally defend from that. So, we must always take care that we don’t spray liquid round and if there are droplets round, we must always wipe them off. However the surroundings right here is kind of resilient and strong and may deal with some small droplets.”
Maurer then floats off to his sleeping pod within the Columbus module, discovering time to examine his laptop computer for any essential messages earlier than handing over. The pod is large enough for one particular person, with the astronaut often climbing inside a sleeping bag hooked up to the aspect to cease them floating about whereas they nap.
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