Thirteen Things You Didn’t Know About Living in Space

(#38)

1. Just about every astronaut experiences some space sickness.

2. Because fluids shift upward in zero G, living in space means sinus congestion, kidney stones, constipation, and a shrunken heart.

3. Less pressure on the spine in zero G will make you two inches taller.

4. No humans have yet to be conceived in space.

5. You might suffer from insomnia living in space: 16 sunrises a day throws a major wrench into astronauts’ circadian rhythms.

6. If exposed to the vacuum of space without a suit on, don’t hold your breath: Sudden decompression would cause your lungs to rupture.

7. Breast implants might explode in a vacuum.

8. Today’s astronauts can spice up their meals with liquid salt and pepper since sprinkled grains would float away, tickling noses and clogging vents.

9. “The shuttle commode requires that astronauts align themselves precisely in the dead center of the seat. A mock-up of the shuttle toilet, complete with built-in camera, is used to train them how to position themselves.”

10. Landing back on Earth is called “the second birth” because returning astronauts report extreme difficulty moving their arms and legs right after touchdown.

11. “Eighteen people have died on space missions, but never in space— always on the way up or the way down.”

12. “Early astronauts relied on aluminum tubes of semiliquid mush, food cubes, and dehydrated meals.”

13. “A 2001 study showed that astronauts who snored on Earth snoozed silently in space.”

Source: Discovery Magazine

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