These days the Space Industry suffers from budget cuts. In some cases that's ok. In others, it seems very counter productive. In Honor of our Astronauts and next week being the mark of 2 mile stones in space age history: Sunday the 17th will be the 34th anniversary of the Surveyor III launch. This was the first spacecraft to sample the surface of the moon. 2nd is Monday will be the 40th anniversary of Salyut 1, the first space station (this is also the day that Einstein died in 1955....scientist see no correlation.).
So, with that in mind, here are 7 interesting facts you probably didn't know about "the next frontier / the great beyond."
#1. The average astronaut grows over an inch while in space. This is due to the decreased pressure on the body's joints and bones.
#2. The heart shrinks, you sinuses swell, and your face gets puffy and red. This is all due to the "fluid shift" which is caused by not having gravity. Here on Earth, gravity is constantly pulling down on us, so our body works hard to counter by forcing fluids up to keep our bodies in balance. Therefor, without gravity pulling so hard on the fluids, they are all forced up, making the heart have to work less, the sinuses get full of gunk, and the extra blood in the head causes swelling, redness, and headaches.
#3. Studies have shown that no astronauts snore while sleeping in space. Even if they snore hear on Earth!
#4. If your space suit is breached, or your helmet breaks while in outer space several things happen, and some don't. For instance you wont die immediately, and you will not explode. However, the water on your eyes, in your nose, and mouth will boil. Also when the suit is breached astronauts are told do breath out, and NOT hold their breathe.... unless they want their lungs to rupture due to the sudden decompression. (all this was actually proven when in 1965 an astronauts space suit failed and he was exposed for 15 seconds.) It would take about 2minutes before you died in space, due to the low temperatures, and lack of oxygen.
#5. No astronaut has died in space...yet. All 18 deaths have occurred within the atmosphere during reentry and launch... So stay here, or there, and your chances are better..
#6. A survey was done on cosmonauts (soviet/russian astronaut) that spent long durations in space. They said the 2 things that where hardest to readjust to after getting back to Earth was lose of strength (due to muscle atrophy simply walking and raising your arms can be hard) and everything falls when you let go of it.
#7. After spending a lot of time and money developing a way for astronauts to pee while in space, and not have it fly all over the place, they ended up giving them diapers.
So, having second thoughts about venturing to the moon? Or is it all worth the risk? Some say the second you are looking down at the earth, as you would the moon from home, it all becomes worth it.
So, with that in mind, here are 7 interesting facts you probably didn't know about "the next frontier / the great beyond."
#1. The average astronaut grows over an inch while in space. This is due to the decreased pressure on the body's joints and bones.
#2. The heart shrinks, you sinuses swell, and your face gets puffy and red. This is all due to the "fluid shift" which is caused by not having gravity. Here on Earth, gravity is constantly pulling down on us, so our body works hard to counter by forcing fluids up to keep our bodies in balance. Therefor, without gravity pulling so hard on the fluids, they are all forced up, making the heart have to work less, the sinuses get full of gunk, and the extra blood in the head causes swelling, redness, and headaches.
#3. Studies have shown that no astronauts snore while sleeping in space. Even if they snore hear on Earth!
#4. If your space suit is breached, or your helmet breaks while in outer space several things happen, and some don't. For instance you wont die immediately, and you will not explode. However, the water on your eyes, in your nose, and mouth will boil. Also when the suit is breached astronauts are told do breath out, and NOT hold their breathe.... unless they want their lungs to rupture due to the sudden decompression. (all this was actually proven when in 1965 an astronauts space suit failed and he was exposed for 15 seconds.) It would take about 2minutes before you died in space, due to the low temperatures, and lack of oxygen.
#5. No astronaut has died in space...yet. All 18 deaths have occurred within the atmosphere during reentry and launch... So stay here, or there, and your chances are better..
#6. A survey was done on cosmonauts (soviet/russian astronaut) that spent long durations in space. They said the 2 things that where hardest to readjust to after getting back to Earth was lose of strength (due to muscle atrophy simply walking and raising your arms can be hard) and everything falls when you let go of it.
#7. After spending a lot of time and money developing a way for astronauts to pee while in space, and not have it fly all over the place, they ended up giving them diapers.
So, having second thoughts about venturing to the moon? Or is it all worth the risk? Some say the second you are looking down at the earth, as you would the moon from home, it all becomes worth it.
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