In the early days of the Russian space station Mir, the cosmonauts would spend six months to a year in zero gravity. Then, when they returned to Earth, their muscles were so badly weakened, the cosmonauts had to be carried. They learned that without gravity, your muscles don’t have as much to do, so they get weak. By exercising two or three hours each day, some of that effect can be overcome, but it’s a lot easier on the body if we just take the gravity along with us.
* Do you get space sick? Amber – Libra 16, 0025 (10-06-2006)
From time to time, some astronauts do experience space sickness (basically, motion sickness). Others never seem to feel the effect, at all. A study was done once (I don’t remember when or by whom) with a variety of people to see what type of person was most likely to get sick. It turns out that the more body fat one has, the less likely he or she is to get sick. There didn’t appear to be any other signs to indicate how anyone might be affected. Age, height, male or female, none of it seemed to make any difference. The leading cause of space sickness is the effect of Zero Gee on the inner ear, and with the artificial gravity we have eliminated that problem. Check out my previous answer for some more information.
Do I ever get space sick? You bet! I did on my first mission, a lot. It kept happening until I became used to the feeling of flying through the air without wings. But now I think it’s a lot of fun. The feeling is really liberating, I hope all of you get to experience it someday. Not the sickness, just the feeling that you can fly. It is so wonderful!
* How do you go to the bathroom up there without gravity? Lee – Libra 43, 0025 (11-03-2006)
In the old space shuttles and on board the International Space Station, they had special toilet facilities, which use restraints to help hold a person in place while using it. A system of air jets and vacuum pumps keeps things flowing in the right direction. We wouldn’t want anything to back up.
Taking a shower is another challenge. The water just hangs in the air when there is no gravity. This can cause a severe breathing problem for someone taking a shower, as the water can float right up the nose and down into the lungs when you inhale. The shower stall has to be a very confined space, with air jets to keep the water away from the face. Surface tension causes the water to cling to pretty much anything it comes into contact with, so when the shower water is turned off, a squeegee is used on the inside of the shower. Then a hand-held vacuum is used to remove the water from the skin surface, and then on the walls, floor, and ceiling of the shower to get the rest of the water off.