7 difficulties that await astronauts

1. Mold and germs

It might seem that the ISS should be the cleanest object in human history. In the end, the space around - where do some pathogenic bacteria come from? But in fact, all sorts of extraneous terrestrial life forms sometimes feel better there than the astronauts themselves.

For example, a lot of mold lives on the station, the spores of which are invariably brought on board with arriving crews, regardless of any quarantines. Surviving in such difficult conditions, the fungi become really severe and endureSpace station mold survives 200 times the radiation dose that would kill a human / Science a dose of radiation 200 times greater than that which can kill a person. Therefore they are growingThe International Space Station is growing mold - inside and outside / CBC News both inside and outside the station.

Space mushrooms are extremely tenacious.

Mold destroys equipment, covers hard-to-reach areas of the station with growths and clogs air filters with its spores, creating

threatMold species in dust from the International Space Station identified and quantified by mold‑specific quantitative PCR / ScienceDirect crew health.

In addition to fungi, there are many microbes at the station, and they also famously mutate from cosmic radiation and becomeNASA researchers catalog all microbes / EurekAlert more and more resilient. Microorganisms can even callPreventing "Sick" Spaceships / Science Mission Directorate corrosion of metal surfaces at the station. It is clear that they are constantly trying to get rid of them, but the struggle is going on with varying success.

2. swollen face

Weightlessness affects people not in the best way. Because of her, the blood begins spreadWhat Happens to the Human Body in Space? /NASA throughout the body evenly - whereas on Earth, most of it is attracted to the lower part of the body.

Especially because of this sufferingWhen Space Makes You Dizzy / NASA head: pressure building up, face very swollen, cheeks swollen and nose all the timelaid downAsk an Astronaut: My Guide to Life in Space (Official Tim Peake Book) — Tim Peake.

Astronaut Chris Hatfield mentionedChris Hadfield: How to fix a space toilet / Naked Scientists in one interview, that the sensations are something like ankles that are stiff from sitting for a long time. Only not in them, but in the physiognomy.

Astronauts call this condition “lunar face,” although it is not associated with Cushing’s syndrome or medication. But it sounds good.

Also, a person can get injuredHow Does Long‑Term Spaceflight Affect Vision? / Texas A&M Today also from edema of the optic nerve, accompanied by vision problems, and headaches due to increased intracranial pressure.

Usually in four days the circulatory system adaptsAsk an Astronaut: My Guide to Life in Space (Official Tim Peake Book) — Tim Peakeand the swelling subsides. To do this, however, the body breaks down up to 22% of the blood volume, reasonably hoping that in weightlessness it no longer needs it. And since the heart now has to pump less fluid, it begins to atrophy.

3. Difficulty digesting food

One of the most unpleasant aspects of life on the ISS is digesting food. When we are on Earth, its gravity helps move food through the digestive tract. In weightlessness, the rules of the game are few. are changingAstronauts Might Throw Up If They Burp in Space / Insider. And when air enters the body during a meal, various incidents happen.

In general, an ordinary innocent burp can easily lead to a fountain of vomiting, which will begin to fly around the station in the form of a dense ball.

Weightlessness does not allow the stomach and esophagus to separate air and solid food, so you need to eat in small portions and very carefully to avoid nausea. And even when burping, you must follow the rules.

ISS astronaut James Newman developed his own special strategy to remove accumulated gas from the stomach. He advises before burping to press against the wall of the station, and then at the same time push off from it and release gas from the stomach through the mouth. In this case, the food pressed by the centrifugal force will remain inside. This tactic adheres toWhat's It Like in Space?: Stories from Astronauts Who've Been There / Ariel Waldman most astronauts.

Another problem with space travel can be flatulence. And not only because intestinal gases in a confined space are disgusting.

NASA specialists back in 1969 establishedMost important scientific study ever: What about farting astronauts? /Gizmodothat the methane and hydrogen produced by digestion can make the atmosphere of orbiting ships and stations highly flammable. And this really increases the risk of fires. Therefore, special diets are being developed for astronauts that reduce the production of these elements in the intestines.

4. sparks from the eyes

During the flight to the moon on Apollo 11, astronauts reportedSP‑368 Biomedical Results of Apollo / NASA about seeing bright sparks in the dark when they closed their eyes. Shuttle pilot Don Pettit, who has also been to the ISS, toldToo Far From Home: A Story of Life and Death in Space — Chris Jonesas he watched "something like a dance of glowing fairies" when he fell asleep. Cosmonaut Maxim Suraev too wroteEye anomaly / Roskosmos about flashes before the eyes that happen about once every three minutes.

When NASA first heard about the sparks in 1969, they chalked it up to overworking the crew and advised the astronauts to ignore the nonsense.

But later, scientists realized that these were not hallucinations. The lights that flicker before the astronauts' eyes when their eyelids are closed are high-energy cosmic particles falling on photoreceptors: photons and atomic nuclei. Them sourcesCosmic Rays / Introduction serve a variety of objects - supernovae, active galactic nuclei, quasars and gamma-ray bursts.

And this is not at all a harmless phenomenon. Cosmic rays can cause serious harmRadiation Will Make Astronauts' Trip to Mars Even Riskier / Science health of the astronaut, increasing the likelihood of him developing cancerous tumors. Particularly intense particle flow ableSpace Physiology and Medicine - Arnauld E. Nicogossian damage your eyesight. Technique he too does not spareMagnetic shielding for spacecraft / The Space Reviewcausing electronic circuit failures.

5. Deformation of the eyeballs

Flashes are not the only problem that happens to astronauts with their eyes. After a long stay in space vision becomes vague even for those on Earth who can easily see the last line of the ophthalmic table.

Usually, problems disappear quickly when a person returns from orbit, but for some astronauts it takes several years to recover. PollsNASA Finds that Space Flight Impacts Astronauts' Eyes and Vision / American Academy of Ophthalmology NASA, which involved 300 astronauts, found vision problems in 23% of people on short flights and 49% of those on long expeditions.

Weightlessness leadsWe May Finally Know Why Astronauts Get Deformed Eyeballs / National Geographic to change the shape of the eyeballs. Their rear is a little flattensStudy Finds Cause of Visual Impairment in Astronauts / RSNA, the retina is also slightly deformed, and increased intracranial pressure has a negative effect on the optic nerve.

While systems for creating artificial gravity are in a state of development, there is not much to be done about this nuisance.

6. Falling off nails

How to cut your nails on the ISS. Video: Canadian Space Agency / Public Domain

We already told that astronauts suffer from skin problems: the atmosphere on the ISS is too dry, so the epidermis is very flaky. On Earth, all this falls to the floor, but in zero gravity, flakes of skin constantly float throughout the station.

how He speaksI am Astronaut Scott Kelly, currently spending a year in space. AMA! /reddit astronaut Scott Kelly, you have to take your socks off very carefully if you don't want to breathe clouds from your own crumbling calluses.

But if skin flakes are just a minor annoyance, then nails are much worse.

In space they are constantly delaminate, and scientists aren't yet sure why. Nails becomeAstronauts Fingernails Falling Off Due to Glove Design / National Geographic very brittle and brittle. Apparently, the problems are the same as with the skin. After all, nails are made of a tissue derived from it, and a dry atmosphere and excessive blood pressure have a bad effect on them.

Add to this the hard gloves of spacesuits - they neededAstronauts Fingernails Falling Off Due to Glove Design / National Geographicto keep the protective suit in shape. So every spacewalk turns into blisters and bloody fingers, which is very painful.

Some astronauts' nails fall out completely. After returning to Earth, they grow back, but rarely retain the same shape as before.

And by the way, even if the nails are more or less in order, they should be cut on the ISS exclusively above the air intakes so that they are immediately sucked into the garbage bins. Otherwise, they will go flying all over the station.

7. hard workout

Skin and nails are not the only unpleasant things that fly in the atmosphere of the ISS. And how mentionedAsk an Astronaut: My Guide to Life in Space (Official Tim Peake Book) — Tim Peake astronaut Tim Peak, drops sometimes float past you there sweat in the form of small balls.

In weightlessness, any liquid is collected in such spheres, so among astronauts it is considered a sign good manners, immediately wipe yourself with a towel when you sweat, preventing the liquid from breaking off the skin and fly away.

It's not pleasant when you get sweat in your eyes. Especially if it's not yours.

Then, by the way, the sweat from the towels sendAsk an Astronaut: My Guide to Life in Space (Official Tim Peake Book) — Tim Peake into liquid recycling systems to produce drinking water from it.

Astronauts sweat often because they exercise regularly for at least two hours. And this is not for the sake of steep relief. Due to weightlessness on the ISS, muscles atrophy. To keep them working, you have to constantly spinSpace Physiology and Medicine. Arnauld E. Nicogossian on all sorts of tricky simulators. Otherwise, later, when you return to Earth, you won’t be able to walk properly at all.