June 15, 2023
By Radha Sekaramantry
Blast off to the world of space exploration with these 10 fun and fascinating facts about astronauts. From smelling space to playing with water bubbles, discover the lighter side of life in zero gravity.
Image source: Adobe Stock
When astronauts first enter space, many of them experience ‘space sickness’, which is similar to motion sickness on Earth. Symptoms can include nausea, dizziness and headaches.
Image source: NASA
The Space Station orbits the earth at a high speed, taking only 92 minutes to complete one orbit. So, the astronauts see sunrises and sunsets every 45 minutes, for a total of 15–16 per 24 hours.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Astronauts can play with water bubbles in space, which behave differently due to the lack of gravity, forming into spheres and even ‘water walls’.
Image source:: Wikimedia Commons
Astronauts can smell space, which has been described as a mixture of gunpowder, seared steak and welding fumes.
Image source: Aldobe Stock
Astronauts can't burp in space either, because the lack of gravity means that gas doesn't rise to the top of their stomachs like it does on Earth.
Image source: Aldobe Stock
Astronauts can experience ‘puffy face and bird leg syndrome’ in space due to fluid redistribution in their bodies. It makes their legs thinner and their faces round and swollen, giving them a cartoonish look.
Image source: Aldobe Stock
Astronauts can't cry in space because tears don't fall in a zero-gravity environment. Instead, tears will form a ball on the eye and may cause discomfort.
Image source: Aldobe Stock
Astronauts can be thrown backward when they sneeze in space due to the absence of gravity, and their sneeze can travel up to 20 feet.
Image source: Aldobe Stock
Astronauts are usually around two inches taller when they return from space, because the lack of gravity causes their spine to elongate.
Image source: Pexels
Astronauts have to exercise for two hours a day to stay strong and evade the effects of zero gravity. They use specialized equipment like treadmills and resistance bands.
Image source: Aldobe Stock