Thursday, November 9, 2017

Out of this World


      More Letters From Paradise
         Out of this World
Information is easily available about the time and direction of the International Space Station, and where it can be seen. We have seen it from our lanai several times.

I recently purchased a new book "Endurance,A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery," by Scott Kelly. In his book he tells all about life  while floating in space. His companions were from Russia,Japan and other European countries.

One of the many problems is physical exercise. It was mandatory to exercise on a treadmill six days a week and at least a couple hours every day. Bone loss is about one per cent per month. Spacemen returning to earth often had broken hip bones.

Another more urgent problem was to keep the two "Seedra" machines working. These machines soak up the CO 2 given off by the crew. If the CO2 levels reach too high, it results in  the difficulty of performing many tasks, and making bad choices. Better to breathe clean air. These machines were often broken, needing repair.

Hand holds are located throughout the station, when a person wants to remain in place. A foot placed around a hand hold, while eating or drinking coffee with a straw from a plastic bag. Scott writes that sleeping while floating is very  nice indeed. And all the urine collected is processed, and becomes drinking water.

The American Space Shuttle was retired some time ago due to a lack of funding. The vehicle taking a three man crew to the space station is aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. This has been safely used many times. The craft has no extra room for anything else. Supplies to the station are carried by a ship called a "Dragon,"built by an American company  called "Space X." A single trip would carry 4,300 lbs.of supplies. Fresh fruit and vegetables (which go bad more quickly than on earth.) Oxygen,spare parts, health care products,experiments, items from home, and so forth.

It is nice to read how everyone all got along. They shared food, celebrate birthdays and holidays while in space. So far over 200 people have visited the space station.

A couple of other things that need to be mentioned. The most dangerous task is a walk in space. A leak-proof clumsy space suit, with gloves like a baseball mitt, requiring delicate working space while traveling at a speed of 17,500 mph. Hand holds required, and a tether to the station. Hours are spent just preparing for the space walk.

Then there is the problem of docking the supply ship to the station requiring the use of a long arm developed by a Canadian company.   Have we become so blasé about space travel? Have we forgotten the moon landing, and the lives that were lost in that historic quest? The International Space Station is working on problems faced by a trip to the planet Mars.

In the nineteen sixties a book "Operating Manual For Spaceship Earth, written by Buckminster Fuller, University of Illinois, created quite a stir. He warned that our planet is a spaceship with limited supplies of food and water. How we used these supplies would determine our fate.
And recently Dr. Stephen Hawking remarked that we may have to travel to Mars, because we are ruining our planet.

Some dark night look up in the sky and you may find something different from all the surrounding stars,shining brightly, it is the International Space Station.

     Aloha
     Grant

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