How Do Astronauts Live in Space?
Living in space is surprisingly ordinary, yet completely different from Earth. For astronauts, a normal day is actually very carefully planned. There is a schedule to work, eat, exercise, communicate with their team and rest.
Astronauts practise these routines so often that many things eventually become almost like muscle memory, something they don’t have to think about before doing. To reach this point, astronauts participate in space-like settings on Earth, called space simulations, to not only understand how to go to space, but to actually live there. We spoke to Deepika Hamav, a lunar analog astronaut and she explained what it is like to be in these simulations. (Fun fact: Analog astronauts are those who never actually go to space but do space simulations on Earth to understand the conditions in space!)
The conditions they live in are just like that in space, and they learn how to consume food and water in space. This is partly why analog astronauts exist. They go through with these simulations to guide how astronauts can actually live in space and other planets like Mars or even the Moon!
On Earth, we turn on a tap, fill a glass and drink the water. However, in space, astronauts experience microgravity. This is a condition where people or objects seem to be weightless. And in microgravity, water doesn’t just pour downwards. So, to access water, they have a machine that dispenses limited water directly into a sealed plastic pouches with built-in straws and valves so water doesn’t spill. These water pouches are then used for drinking and bathing.
One can’t take normal showers in space. Astronauts use wipes and very small amounts of water (about four to five droplets at best), from the water pouches, to keep themselves clean. Going to the toilet is a bit complex. Astronauts rely on airflow and suction instead of water. They secure themselves to the toilet seat using thigh straps and foot loops so they do not float away, and a powerful fan pulls the waste into a sealed container.
Finally, space meals are specially prepared and dehydrated in order to be packed. Astronauts do eat regular foods like chicken, seafood, fruit, nuts, brownies and vegetables, and there is no fridge or traditional oven in space. So, meals are preserved using freeze-drying, heat-processing or natural packaging. They add hot water to rehydrate items or use a compact warmer.
Space may be full of things we’ve never seen before, but astronauts still have to do the things we do every day. This is why space simulations are important. The goal is to make everyday actions feel familiar. If something unexpected happens, they don’t need to figure out the basics for the first time, because their training kicks in. And after enough practice, they become second nature.