This is how sleep and toilet needs are taken care of with hearing in the Orion capsule

Spaceship On Saturday, Orion took the direction towards the Moon. The Artemis II launch vehicle already took Orion’s four astronauts into orbit around the Earth on Thursday, April 2, Finnish time.

How three men and one woman can survive ten days in a small capsule?

Four astronauts are cramped on board: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen.

Never before have so many traveled to the moon in one go. The Apollo auditions 8 and 10–17 in the years 1968–1972 were always handled by three astronauts.

You can’t get close to the moon on a tourist flight. The moon is quite far away. At the beginning of April, the Moon orbits the Earth at a distance of almost 400,000 kilometers. The journey to orbit around the Moon takes at least three days.

Orion orbits the Moon in an oval orbit and will be closest to it on Monday, April 6. Then the return home begins. The capsule splashes into the Pacific Ocean near California on the 11th-12th. April. You can follow the progress of the flight On the NASA website.

Chairs aside immediately after departure

Orion has been compared to a medium-sized mobile home. There is about nine cubic meters of space.

After departure, the astronauts fold the backs of the two seats away from the legs. This way, the four get more cubic meters for efficient use from floor to ceiling.

Weightlessness gives more room to move. The trip to the moon takes place mostly in weightless space, i.e. the astronauts float freely in Orion.

Floating bulk items, for example wires, can mess up movement.

Versatile space food

Nutritionists and astronauts have drawn up the menu well in advance. Astronauts have been allowed to say what kind of food they like in taste tests.

Of course, the nutritional values ​​are kept in order.

Looks tasty. The ten-day menu has a total of 189 dishes. Everything is tailored for tight spaces.

Still, the menu includes grilled beef brisket, mango salad, spicy green beans, macaroni and cheese, and shrimp cocktail. In addition, there are 58 tortillas, 43 cups of coffee and five chili sauces that give extra flavor.

At breakfast, astronauts get, for example, blueberry granola, breakfast sausage and smoothies.

Treats and spreads include maple syrup, cookies, chocolate pudding, almond butter, jam and honey. Drinks include coffee, lemonade, apple juice and breakfast drinks.

There is no completely fresh food in Orion because there is no refrigeration for it.

Astronauts use a drinking water dispenser. The food warmer packed in the briefcase heats some of the food. Nasan video tells more about meal planning.

Suction toilet and waterless washing

A shower would take up too much space in Orion. Astronauts use wet wipes and very little water to wash themselves.

You can bring your own toothbrush and toothpaste and shaving accessories to Orion.

NASA uses a great circular expression for their toilets. They belong to the “general waste management system”. If necessary, privacy is protected by a small door.

The space toilet absorbs waste. Many people have used a similar suction toilet on trains and flights.

Orion has its own hose and suction for urine and heavy objects. Urine is directed into space. The poop is packed into a maintenance module and disposed of on Earth.

Dreams pinned to the wall

Astronauts sleep in sleeping bags that are attached to the walls of Orion.

Eight hours of sleep is scheduled for them. However, it’s busy at the beginning of the flight, and that’s why sleeping was divided into two parts.

Very small “gym”

Muscles degenerate quickly in a weightless state. Therefore, a “gym” has been set up for this trip as well.

It means only one device. It’s a modest flywheel, like a yo-yo. However, the bike can produce 180 kilograms of resistance.

There is a club at the end of the pull cord. Astronauts row about 30 minutes of training on several days or do deadlifts.

The flywheel is placed under Orion’s door hatch, like a door mat. One person’s gym weighs only 14 kilograms.

Can the Earth hear? Wifi works

The space has wifi. Orion can communicate with Earth almost all the time.

The connection is guaranteed by the space message network built by NASA. It includes satellites and a couple of large radio telescopes.

Astronauts are in constant contact with NASA air traffic control. They can also communicate with their loved ones when time permits.

The message comes from far away to Earth with a delay of one or more seconds. You can see it in communication.

You can contact the doctors right away. Of course, Orion has a well-equipped doctor’s bag.

Do you have free time on a hot trip?

Astronauts’ schedule is quite full. Devices must be tested. The moon must also be photographed from new angles.

The four have their own tablets. You can download movies, music and games to them.

If the old signs are correct, a large part of an astronaut’s free time is spent looking at planet Earth. Now he can also see the Moon up close.

They say you never get tired of staring. Once at the viewpoint! Few people get to go on a trip like this again.