2005-10-13

Chinese astronauts and how they live in space

Here is an article about Chinese astronauts that made me laugh, it is serious article but funny nonetheless. Some funny pieces:

Chen said the foodstuff can be classified into staple food and nonstaple food. Rice will be the major staple food, with 140 grams of rice packed into a vacuum bag to be warmed by a heater.


Rice in zero gravity! They are going to be busy chasing pieces of floating rice all over their space capsule or the alternative is sucking rice through a straw or drinking mashed rice. Hmm, let me try putting my machboos in the blender and see how it tastes.
Reminds me of Kuwaiti families when they travel and pack that 5eshat 3esh (sack of rice) in their suitcase because London / Switzerland / New York / (choose your favorite capital) do not have any rice.

A sleeping bag has been arranged for the Shenzhou-6 spacecraft.

It is hooked on the wall of the vessel's orbit module. The astronauts will sleep by turns, one at rest and the other on duty.


You must share your sleeping bag with your partner and use it in turns! I am not going to say any more but I think you all understand that you might be sharing more than what you bargained for. I don't think they got tubs and showers in the space capsule.

Under the microgravity conditions, they may sleep standing, sitting or lying. When they sleep, they should put their arms inside the sleeping bag and tie their hands on their chests, so as not to touch equipment switches accidentally.

You need to tie your hands otherwise you might hit the wrong button, like self destruct, open sun roof (then get sucked out into space) or maybe change the TV channel and piss off your partner.

During their five-day space travel, Fei and Nie will take off the astronautic suits to enter the orbiter from the re-entry module. In the microgravity environment, they will take on and off the suits in 10 minutes, Li Tanqiu said.

10 Minutes to get dressed! I can put on my dishdasha and ghutra in less than 5 minutes if I am late for work.
I suggest they invent a space dishdasha, they can wear that faster.


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