The four astronauts on the Artemis II mission will spend 10 days living inside their Orion spacecraft. Those astronauts, including Canadian Jeremy Hansen, will travel more than two million kilometers as they travel around the moon Here’s some answers to our real (and most important) questions about how the astronauts will live during their mission.
How do you go to the bathroom in space?
On earth gravity pulls everything down. In space there is no gravity so everything floats. So how do astronauts go to the bathroom? The toilet in space has a seat with straps to hold you down. It uses a vacuum to suction everything away to be stored in a container until they return to earth. Part of an astronaut’s training includes how to use the toilets in space.
Astronaut Christina Koch shows the bathroom on the Artemis II spacecraft
NASA provides a detailed look at how toilets work in space
How do astronauts sleep without floating away?
If an astronaut didn’t strap themselves down they might wake up floating on the ceiling! Astronauts sleep in small sleeping bags or hammocks that are attached to the wall. The sounds of fans, computers and other equipment can be quite loud so they might also wear earplugs while sleeping.
Canadian Astronaut Jeremy Hansen explains how the crew will sleep
What do astronauts eat?
Astronauts eat a variety of foods including macaroni and cheese, breakfast sausages, and tortillas. There’s no fridge or stove and very little storage space so food needs to be ready to eat. Most of it is freeze-dried and then rehydrated with water when it’s time to eat. Interesting fact: in space astronauts can’t taste or smell as well as they do on earth so they like spicier food. Five different hot sauces will be travelling around the moon with the astronauts!
Astronaut Chris Hadfield made a peanut butter sandwich in space
Can astronauts get sick in space?
Yes, astronauts can get sick in space! Space is very different than earth so their bodies might need time to get used to it. Because there is no gravity the brain can get confused about which way is up or down and that might make them feel dizzy, get headaches or feel like throwing up. To stay healthy astronauts train a lot before going to space. They are in quarantine for two weeks before their launch to make sure they are healthy. During their space flight they exercise every day and eat healthy food. They also receive medical training and have medical tools with them.
Is there a doctor aboard the capsule?
Want to learn more?
Watch the NASA+ collection free on Kanopy featuring inspiring documentaries, educational series and the new Moonbound series following the Artemis II mission.
Mission Astronaut is a fun online game created by the Canada Space Agency to learn more about space missions, astronauts and the moon.
The Canadian Space Agency has information about Canada’s long history of accomplishments in space technology. You can also follow their daily update on the Artemis 2 mission
NASA’S Space Place is a great site for kids wanting to explore earth and space.
NASA’s Artemis II site includes information about the mission, the spacecraft and the astronauts.
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