how astronauts sleep
For people on Earth, we are used to sleeping at night and working or studying during the day. But for astronauts, their working and living environments are different from ours, and they need to sleep in a special environment.
Sleep is very important during space missions. Astronauts’ sleep quality will affect their physical and mental state, and then affect the completion of space missions. Therefore, designing a sleep environment suitable for the space environment is critical to the health and safety of astronauts.
On the International Space Station, astronauts sleep only in a small space. They have no beds, just a sleeping bag that can be mounted on the wall. This sleeping bag is made of special material that can absorb sweat, it is breathable and soft, so it can provide astronauts with a comfortable sleeping environment.
In order to prevent astronauts from floating up during sleep, the sleeping bag uses the same artificial gravity technology as the space station. The design of the guide rails in the space station allows the sleeping bag to be fixed in the space station as if along the guide rails, realizing gravity simulation, which is equivalent to sleeping on a bed on the earth. This is especially important for the physical health of astronauts, because the weightless environment will have many negative effects on the body, such as stretching and squeezing the spine, and difficulty maintaining a stable body temperature.
In order to prevent the noise during sleep from disturbing the rest of the astronauts, the space station is also equipped with a noise control system. This system can monitor and eliminate the noise around the astronauts to ensure that they can enjoy a quiet sleeping environment.
In terms of sleep time, astronauts have the same sleep time as people on the ground, and they can sleep 6 to 8 hours a day. But in space, due to differences in lighting systems and time systems, people’s body clocks will change. Astronauts need to properly adjust sleep time and working time according to mission requirements and schedules to ensure their health and mission completion.
How Astronauts Avoid Floating Away
Astronauts must wear appropriate spacesuits. The design of spacesuits is very important. It can not only provide sufficient oxygen and maintain body temperature for astronauts, but also provide stable buoyancy to keep astronauts stable. The suits are also equipped with reflective materials that can make astronauts more visible in space and prevent accidental collisions with other astronauts.
Astronauts must master the correct way to walk in space. There is no air resistance in space, and it is easy for astronauts to lose their balance once they start moving. To this end, astronauts need to determine the direction first, and then walk slowly to ensure regular breathing and cooperate with leg muscles for space walking. When moving, it is best to use feet side by side to stabilize the center of mass of the body. When the distance from other astronauts becomes farther, you should stop in time to confirm the position so as not to get lost.
Astronauts also need to use a safety rope and tether buckle, one end is fixed on the astronaut, and the other end is connected to the space vehicle or space station to ensure safety. If they lose their balance during the movement, astronauts can use safety ropes and tether buckles to avoid floating away.
Astronauts also need to learn to use thrusters, which are one of the necessary means of transportation for astronauts in outer space. It can help astronauts adjust their position and speed up or slow down to a stop when needed. When using thrusters, astronauts need to consider various factors, such as mass, speed and direction, to ensure safety.
How do astronauts deal with dangerous situations?
For the loss of communication, astronauts need to take a series of emergency response measures. First of all, they need to confirm the communication failure, check whether the equipment is damaged, and troubleshoot as soon as possible. If the fault cannot be eliminated, it is necessary to transmit the fault information back to the ground through the backup communication equipment, and accept the guidance of the ground control center. In addition, if the astronauts face a situation where they cannot take appropriate measures for themselves, the ground control center can also take emergency rescue measures.
In the event of a bulkhead rupture, astronauts need to respond quickly and ensure their own safety. First, they need to quickly shut down equipment that could cause a breach and seal it off immediately. Secondly, astronauts need to release oxygen and wear oxygen masks according to emergency procedures to prevent oxygen leakage. Next, astronauts need to use sealing tape or other reliable materials to repair the rupture while keeping the hatch closed to keep the astronauts alive.
When encountering situations such as oxygen leaks, astronauts need to take more cautious measures. First, the astronauts need to test the oxygen system to determine where the leak is coming from. They then need to close the leak tightly and patch it with the proper tools. If the amount of oxygen remaining is very limited, astronauts can survive using a backup oxygen system or a module close to the Earth that is covered with sufficient oxygen.
Astronauts also need to respond quickly and efficiently to unexpected situations resulting from accidents. In the unlikely event that astronauts drift from the extravehicular work area into the darkness of space or face a drastic change in air pressure, they need to return to a safe state as quickly as possible. Astronauts can check their partner’s status by tapping on his spacesuit to make sure he’s back on the guide path.
Sleeping in an environment without gravity might not seem like a comfortable experience, but astronauts can get used to it with some training and skill. For them, sleep is not only a necessary way to rest, but also an important means to maintain physical and mental health during long-term space missions.
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