NASA Astronaut Reveals Dislikes Living in Space

Jakarta –

Stay in outer space or even another planet is the dream of many people, especially now that the space tourism business is starting to develop. But astronaut NASA’s Megan McArthur warns that life in space is difficult and uncomfortable.

McArthur is one of seven astronauts currently living and working at International Space Station (ISS). He admits that living in conditions with micro-gravity feels like having super powers, but there are also downsides.

“A very, very simple thing on Earth suddenly becomes very difficult — even something as simple as sleeping or brushing your teeth. You have to think about: How can I do this without making a mess?” McArthur said in an interview with Insider, as quoted by detikINET, Monday (30/8/2021).

Astronauts living on the ISS have to swallow toothpaste because spitting it out will leave a floating liquid. They slept in small compartments, using sleeping bags attached to the wall to keep them from floating.

Astronauts also cannot wash their clothes and cannot bathe like people on Earth. To clean themselves, they have to take a shower using the liquid soap in their bag and use shampoo without rinsing when washing their hair.

When urinating and defecating, they have to use a special toilet that has a small hole and the feces are sucked directly so that it doesn’t float in ISS. That’s why many astronauts equate living in space with extreme camping, but with greater risks.

“You have to be willing to be uncomfortable and take risks, of course. So you have to have the grit, I think, in your personality to help get through and enjoy the situation,” McArthur said.

About 1% of manned flights into space launched in the United States end in fatal accidents. This makes space travel 10,000 times more dangerous than flying on a commercial plane.

Even so, now there are many companies that offer space tourism business. For example, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic have already sold tickets for a trip to outer space, and SpaceX, which will fly civilians to the ISS.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk even aspires to build a human colony on Mars. But according to McArthur, currently living in ISS relatively close to Earth is a very difficult and risky thing, even with years of practice and experience.

“I kind of know what will happen. But to be able to live it later is still very fun and exciting and very challenging. No matter how big the preparation, everyday life is still very challenging,” concluded McArthur.

Watch Videos”LAPAN Hopes that Space Commercialization Ambition will spread to Indonesia“
[Gambas:Video 20detik]

(vmp/afr)

– .