Bill Paxton in Apollo 13 astronaut garb and his real-life counterpart Fred Haise.
Rest in Peace Bill Paxton…
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7 Things That Happen When You Go To Space
Told Through Astronaut Scott Kelly’s Tweets
Astronaut Scott Kelly is currently spending a year in space. Most expeditions to the space station last four to six months. By doubling the length of this mission, researchers hope to better understand how the human body reacts and adapts to long-duration spaceflight. During this one-year mission, Kelly is also participating in the Twins Study. While Kelly is in space, his identical twin brother, retired NASA Astronaut Mark Kelly, will participate in a number of comparative genetic studies.
Here are a few things that happen when astronauts go to the space station:
1. Your personal hygiene takes on a different form:
2. Sleeping arrangements might take some getting used to:
3. Internet services will remind you of the 90s:
4. You never have to do laundry:
5. You get to become immersed in a range of different cultures:
6. All of your water is recycled…yes…that means urine too:
7. You get to see the Earth like never before:
Follow Astronaut Scott Kelly’s Year in Space mission on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
NASA Astronaut Sets New Record for Americans in Space
Peggy Whitson, the first woman to command the International Space Station (ISS), on Monday broke the record for the most time accumulated in orbit by an American, surpassing the record of 534 days, 2 hours and 48 minutes set last year by Jeffrey Williams.
She was already the world’s most experienced woman astronaut and spacewalker and, at 57, the oldest woman in space. Here’s a look back at her barrier-breaking career.
What Did Astronaut Scott Kelly Do After a #YearInSpace?
Astronaut Scott Kelly just returned from his One-Year Mission aboard the International Space Station. After spending 340 days on orbit, you can imagine that he started to miss a few Earthly activities. Here are a few things he did after his return home:
Watched a Sunset
While on the International Space Station for his One-Year Mission, astronaut Scott Kelly saw 16 sunrises/sunsets each day…so he definitely didn’t miss out on the beauty. That said, watching a sunset while on Earth is something that he had to wait to see. Tweet available HERE.
Ate Fresh Food
After spending a year on the International Space Station, eating precooked food, anyone would be excited to dig into a REAL salad. Astronaut Scott Kelly was no exception, and posted about his first salad on Earth after his one-year mission. Learn more about what astronauts eat while in space HERE. Tweet available HERE.
Jumped into a Pool
Water is a precious resource in space. Unfortunately, that means that there isn’t a pool on the space station. Luckily, astronaut Scott Kelly was able to jump into some water after his return to Earth. Tweet/video available HERE.
Sat at a Dinner Table
While living on the International Space Station, crew members regularly enjoy their meals together, but do so while floating in microgravity. The comfort of pulling up a chair to the dinner table is something they can only experience once they’re back home on Earth. Tweet available HERE.
Enjoyed the Weather
When crew members live on the space station they can’t just step outside for a stroll. The only time they go outside the orbiting laboratory is during a spacewalk. Even then, they are confined inside a bulky spacesuit. Experiencing the cool breeze or drops of rain are Earthly luxuries. Tweet available HERE.
Stopped by the Doctor’s Office
The One-Year Mission doesn’t stop now that astronaut Scott Kelly is back on Earth. Follow-up exams and tests will help scientists understand the impacts of microgravity on the human body during long-duration spaceflight. This research will help us on our journey to Mars. Tweet available HERE.
Visited the Denist
When you spend a year in space, you’ll probably need to catch up on certain things when you return to Earth. Astronaut Scott Kelly made sure to include a visit to the dentist on his “return home checklist”. Tweet available HERE.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
“A model of the Harmony node floats freely near astronaut Stephanie Wilson, STS-120 mission specialist, on the middeck of Space Shuttle Discovery while docked with the International Space Station.“ 10/29/2007
File Unit: STS-120, 4/12/1981 - 7/21/2011. Series: Mission Photographs Taken During the Space Shuttle Program , 4/12/1981 - 7/21/2011. Record Group 255: Records of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1903 - 2006.
Submitted anonymously to our Citizen Archivist Takeover.
Submit your ideas for October documents here: https://goo.gl/forms/qBgvcWqUyYioD4yT2.
“President John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and others watch the lift-off of the first American in space, Astronaut Alan Shepard.” 5/5/1961
President John F. Kennedy and others watch television coverage of the lift-off of astronaut Commander Alan B. Shepard, Jr. aboard "Freedom 7,” on the first US manned sub-orbital flight.
via the JFK Library
June 18, 1983: Sally Ride Becomes First American Woman in Space
On this day in 1983, at the age of 32, astronaut Sally Ride became the first American woman in space aboard the space shuttle Challenger. Her voyage came 20 years after Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. After the voyage, Sally Ride received many honors for her contributions to the field of science and space exploration.
In May 2012, Sally Ride became the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States.
On July 23, 2012, Sally Ride died at the age of 61 after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer.
Visit PBS NewsHour to learn more about Sally Ride.
Photo: Courtesy of NASA
Month in Space Pictures: Out-of-this-world selfie and a purple sun
See astronauts jammin’ on the space station, a rocket bound for Mars and more stellar highlights from May 2018 here.
President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton witness the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery from the roof of the Launch Control Center at Cape Canaveral, 29 October 1998. Standing with them are NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin and astronaut Robert Cabana. Over to the left in a separate group is astronaut Eileen Collins with friends. (NASA)
Stephanie Wilson
Stephanie Wilson was born on September 27, 1966 in Boston, Massachusetts. Wilson, a Harvard graduate, was chosen as an astronaut by NASA in 1996. She was on the STS-121 space flight in 2006, the mission that mounted US Node 2 to the International Space Station, and has since made two more outer space voyages. She has won the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the Johnson Space Center Director’s Innovation Group Achievement Award, and the Johnson Space Center Director Commendation Award.
Happy birthday, Stephanie Wilson!
Photo credit: NASA
Investment in home and community-based care is popular and must be included in #infrastructure. Now it’s up to Congress to get it done. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/04/opinion/elder-care-congress.html #HCBS @nytimes