Some interesting facts about space related missions, check how many of them you know !!

Do you ever wondered that how astronauts live in ISS(International Space Station despite of any gravity,atmospheric pressure  and many thing else). If you think the same then you are on the right page

We  have seen astronauts wearing big bulky space suits which seems very uncomfortable right...

Yes , but that doesn't matter if it is there to make you live in space.

So lets start to reveal these secrets one by one

1. Why astronauts wear white color spacesuit??

Photo by History in HD on Unsplash

We know everything space scientist do is on purpose right!!

As we know that space consist extreme cold and hot temperature, and harmful radiation that can cause system failure of space suit like oxygen supply system, cooling system and suit on board computer and many more. Don't worry about these terms ,we will come to these terms later. 

white color reflects most of the incident radiation (mostly from Sun) falling on the suit thus protect the suit to function normally.

another interesting reason of using white color is that it helps other crew members to see crew member in dark (when sunlight is very less).

useful when astronauts do space walk or have to go for maintenance and other spacewalks in space.

2.What Do they mean when they say space walk??

Spacewalk is nothing but common word used by astronauts for Extra vehicular activity or in short EVA. Extra vehicular activity means anything  they do outside the spacecraft  and space suits they use are also called as Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or EMU

3.How Hubble Space Telescope is repaired or maintained??

EVA of  8 hours non stop

We all have heard about this telescope in news, famous for discoveries like universe expansion, black holes studies, Study about planets like Pluto, Eris.

HST was launched in Low Earth Orbit in 1970 for exploring space.

Do you know it was designed such that it can be repaired, upgrade and maintained in space by Astronauts.

Till now five missions are carried to repair and upgrade Hubble Space Telescope all are done in Space by our space heroes. 

4.Why Space agencies like NASA do not let us see how astronauts dress up completely??

You have never seen a single video of astronaut completely when they put on or take off there space suit.

One of the main reason is that a spacewalk can last as long as 8 hours without a break and if there is a need to do pee or poo they have to do in there adult sized diapers.

these diapers have extra absorption material and known as Maximum Absorption Garments.

5. Why space suit are so much bulky ??

Astronauts look like a sumo wrestler with bag pack on there back in space but wearing such heavy and bulky suit is for some reason let us know about this

Space Suits maintains a constant pressure around the body with help of oxygen and other gases.This air pressure is similar of what we experience on earth.

This air pressure is must as in vacuum condition blood in our body boils even at room temperature.

Suit can maintain Oxygen Supply around the body and can self correct up to some limits when anything unusual happens with computer mounted (Displays and control module) on space suit.

After getting this let us know why they have a bag pack kind structure on space suit which is known as PLSS (Primary Life Support Subsystem)

This houses many essential thing for survival of  astronauts like oxygen tank, removes exhaled carbon dioxide, battery for running electrical equipment on-board, a fan for circulating oxygen in suit.

There is also a caution and warning system on board which let astronauts know if something is going wrong in spacesuit and a two way radio for communication with other crew members.

6.How Astronauts protect there hands from getting cold??

Hands are very much sensitive to cold and temperature of hands drop drastically in space also.For this situation astronauts use EVA gloves which are equipped with heater which controls temperature around hand.

7.Why there is a golden colored covering on spacecraft ??

We all space enthusiast at least one time thought about why there is this golden colored covering on satellites , landers and rovers sent in space.

this layer is known as Multi Layer Insulation (MLI) and if you are wondering that it is made of gold then you are wrong

It is usually made of layers of  Aluminized Polyimide with Silver facing in. 

MLI is crucial part in thermal design of a satellite.This layer gives insulation from heat coming from sun mostly in form radiation as conduction and convection mode of heat transfer doesn't matter in space.

But why?? because space is nearly vacuum as no atmosphere exist in space.
So major concern for thermal design restricts to radiation mode of heat transfer. 

8. How Astronauts quench there thirst when they work up to 8 hours non stop in there suits??

HUT

 Most of the important life support systems controls are mounted on hard upper torso(HUT) which is made of fiber glass and covers the chest part of astronauts.

This kind of pouch are used in space suits also

this hard upper torso houses a plastic water filled pouch with a tube connected with other end inside the helmet.This tube is connected with a special valve which opens when astronaut bites it to take a sip and closes when bite is released.

9.How Astronaut get to know which astronaut is in which Space suit from a distance??

Back in my childhood days it was very difficult for me to find my friend in school uniform in small play ground and my playground is nothing in comparison of space ,So how astronauts distinguish themselves from others?

there are different color strips on astronaut's Lower Torso Assembly (space suits pants which covers lower half of the body).Some are plane white strips and others can have Candy Cane strips.

Notice red strips on lower torso assembly of suit

10.What is so special about Astronaut's helmet??

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

Astronaut's helmet not only just protect the space walker head but also provide oxygen supply in right amount to brain to function normally. 

The most important  part is the plastic bubble which able the space walker to see , but it becomes difficult sometimes when direct sunlight falls on the bubble. 

For protection of eye from sunlight, helmet is equipped with a visor. 

This visor have a thin golden film on it which protects eyes from radiation and bright light. 

We have seen astronauts photos from Apollo moon landing mission with there visor on. 

This visor also protects astronauts from high temperature and small particles in space.

Helmet can also mount video camera and light source. 

11.How astronauts operate controls mounted on hard upper torso (chest) when they can not move there helmet? 

Helmet of astronauts does not allow astronauts to see what the display on chest(Displays and control module) is showing and where the controls are.

So how they do it? 

Astronauts use a wrist mirror to see where the control buttons are and what is written on display. 

Wait a minute, how can they read letters on display as every thing in mirror is shown opposite?? 

The display of astronauts is programmed such a way that letters on it appears in backward. 

And backward is forward in mirror.!!

12.What happens if Safety Tethers (ropes attached with one end connected to astronaut and other with spacecraft so they do not drift) fails? 

If  Safety Tethers fails it will leave astronaut vulnerable to drift in space. 

If somehow safety tethers fail then the only option left with the astronaut is SAFER(Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue). 

Photo by Christian Wagner on Unsplash

SAFER is like a jet pack with small nitrogen gas nozzles, wore by astronauts on there back like a backpack which let them fly back to there spacecraft when they drift. 

SAFER's jet nozzles are controlled with the help of joystick. 

13. Why moon south pole is such a big attraction for space scientists to explore?? 

Photo by Neven Krcmarek on Unsplash

We all have heard about Chandrayaan 2 mission of India led by  government space organisation ISRO(Indian Space Research Organisation). 

This mission is gaining much attention from big players like NASA, JAXA, ROSCOSMOS etc

This is because the rover named Pragyan is supposed to land very near to south pole. 

South pole of moon always remained an interesting spot for studying the surface after ISRO discovered presence of water in this region with help of Chandrayaan 1 mission.

Till then no other space agency ever tried to land rover on South pole of the moon. 

 Water in this region can not sustain in liquid as it is the coldest region of the moon. 

So how can water can be there on moon where temperature  is uncertain it can go very much hot (260 degrees Fahrenheit which is 127 degrees in Celsius) or can get freezingly cold(-173 degree Celsius). 

This uncertainty in temperature depends on which face of moon is exposed to sun light.

So  how water can exist on south pole of the moon??

This is because south pole of moon always remains unexposed to the sun light and thus surface remains freezingly cold which let the water molecules to collect in deep crater formed in the moon and some on the surface but large amount of water always remains in these craters. 

14. How astronauts brush there teeth?? 

It is not that simple as it is on earth. We cannot just simply brush our teeth in water in front of mirror with sink in front. 

Sunita Williams  brushing her teeth in ISS

Astronauts can't use sink as without gravity field it is useless. 

Water consumption in space is very different from what we see on earth. 

About 93% of water consumed is recycled from shower, urinal and even  sweat. 

Water is taken in small pouch for consumption it is a special kind of pouch with a tube with a valve. 

They brush with normal tooth paste but the interesting thing is that most of the astronauts swallow tooth paste right away!!

So this is it, leave down your comments and let me how much from the above you knew already!!!