I’ve at all times dreamed of floating 400 kilometers above the Earth. The concept of staring out of the Cupola module, watching continents drift by, appears like the final word freedom. However after digging into the operational manuals of the Worldwide House Station (ISS), I spotted one thing vital: House isn’t about freedom; it’s about survival.
From the surface, the ISS seems to be like an journey. Inside, nonetheless, it’s the strictest, most managed atmosphere humanity has ever constructed. It needs to be. When you find yourself dwelling in a pressurized steel can touring at 17,500 miles per hour, “small” errors don’t exist. Every little thing is doubtlessly deadly.
Whereas researching astronaut life, I discovered a listing of prohibitions that appear completely regular on Earth however are absolute taboos in orbit. Right here is why the foundations in house are rewritten by physics, and why breaking them is a recipe for catastrophe.
1. The Zero-Tolerance Coverage on Alcohol (and Smells)
I really like a superb celebratory toast as a lot as anybody. You’d assume that after finishing a profitable spacewalk or docking a Dragon capsule, the crew deserves a drink. However on the ISS, alcohol is strictly forbidden.
It’s not nearly stopping astronauts from getting tipsy (although a drunk particular person in zero-G is a legal responsibility). The true cause is chemistry.
The ISS makes use of a fancy Environmental Management and Life Help System (ECLSS) to recycle water. And after I say water, I imply all the things. Urine, sweat, and even the moisture from each breath is captured, filtered, and turned again into consuming water.
Right here is the issue: Alcohol is unstable. If it will get into the air or the waste stream, it creates chemical compounds that the recyclers can’t simply filter out. It will possibly break the silicone within the water restoration system.
This rule is so strict that it extends to toiletries.
Mouthwash? Alcohol-free solely.Fragrance/Cologne? Banned.Aftershave? Neglect about it.
If it has ethanol, it stays on Earth. The station’s lungs are simply too delicate.
2. You Can’t Simply “Pack a Bag” (The Outgassing Nightmare)
I’m the type of one that packs means an excessive amount of for a weekend journey. However astronauts? They don’t have that luxurious. Each single merchandise—right down to a household picture or a pen—have to be examined and authorized earlier than launch.
It’s not nearly weight; it’s about “outgassing.”
On Earth, supplies like plastics, glues, and foams launch tiny quantities of gasoline over time. We don’t discover it as a result of now we have home windows and a complete environment to dilute it. Within the sealed loop of the ISS, these gases have nowhere to go. They construct up and might grow to be poisonous to the crew or corrosive to the electronics.
I additionally realized that bodily particles is an enormous concern. A regular pencil may appear innocent, however graphite mud or a damaged tip floating into a pc cooling fan may trigger a brief circuit. That’s the reason all the things is scrutinized. If it might flake, break, or odor, it doesn’t fly.
3. Hearth Acts Like a Predator
We’re used to flames pointing up. That’s convection: scorching air rises, cool air sinks.
However in microgravity, scorching air doesn’t rise. I watched some NASA experiments on this, and it’s terrifying. With out gravity, a flame turns into an ideal, pulsating blue sphere that adheres to no matter is burning. It consumes oxygen extra slowly however is extremely troublesome to extinguish as a result of it doesn’t “bounce” like earthly fireplace—it persists.
Due to this, open flames and cigarettes are the final word taboo.
The Threat: The ISS is oxygen-rich. A small spark may flip right into a catastrophic fireball in seconds.The Smoke: Even should you put it out, the smoke doesn’t choose the ground. It hangs within the air, clogging the HEPA filters that hold the astronauts alive.
Each material, Velcro strip, and piece of clothes on the station is manufactured from fire-resistant supplies. They aren’t taking any possibilities.
4. The “No Intimacy” Rule (Professionalism vs. Physics)
That is the query everybody asks, however NASA not often talks about it brazenly. Is intercourse allowed in house? The brief reply is not any.
Formally, that is about professionalism. These are small groups dwelling in a the scale of a five-bedroom home for months. Sexual relationships can create emotional drama, jealousy, and command construction points that might compromise a mission value billions of {dollars}.
However let’s take a look at it from a physics perspective (as a result of that’s what I do).
Newton’s Third Legislation: For each motion, there’s an equal and reverse response. With out gravity to offer traction, bodily intimacy turns into a logistical nightmare of bouncing off partitions.Fluid Dynamics: In house, sweat and different physique fluids don’t drip; they stick with you or float away in globules. From a hygiene and air-filtration standpoint, it’s a organic hazard.
So, whereas it’s technically attainable, the station is designed for science, not romance.
5. By no means, Ever Throw Something
If I’m working at my desk and I would like a pen from a colleague, I would toss it over. Innocent, proper?
On the ISS, throwing an object is harmful.
In zero-G, objects don’t arc downward; they journey in a straight line perpetually till they hit one thing. A pen thrown too onerous doesn’t simply fall to the ground; it turns into a projectile. It may hit a crucial swap, crack a display screen, or lodge itself behind a management panel.
Astronauts are educated at hand issues over instantly or “float” them very gently. In addition they use miles of Velcro. For those who don’t stick an merchandise down, it wanders off. There are tales of astronauts shedding a screwdriver, solely to seek out it three weeks later floating close to an air consumption vent.
My Last Ideas
It’s simple to envy the astronauts. The view they’ve is unmatched. However the extra I examine their each day lives, the extra I notice that being an astronaut requires a stage of self-discipline that almost all of us can’t comprehend.
They reside in a world the place physics is consistently making an attempt to kill them, and their solely protection is a strict algorithm.
It makes me recognize gravity slightly bit extra. I can toss my keys on the desk, mild a candle, or splash on some cologne with out worrying that I’m going to crash the life assist system.
What about you? May you reside with these restrictions for six months simply to see the Earth from above, or is the “no bathe, no privateness” life a dealbreaker? Let me know within the feedback.
