“I got to fly on 5 space shuttle flights,” remarked Dr. James Voss, “and I still can’t believe how lucky I am.” Voss also participated in an extended mission on the space station. He downplayed his experience as an explorer while aboard the space station. He remarked that there were some shortages that occurred, despite bringing everything they needed.
Speaking to the Intro to Space Exploration class at Mines, Voss noted that the crowd consisted largely of engineers. “71% of astronauts have an engineering degree,” he explained.
Upon arrival at the space station, Voss took what was the “longest space walk in history.” It was nine hours long. Among other things, Voss and his comrades attached a “multi-purpose logistics module.” Despite its being weighed at 100 lbs, “I was able to move it about myself,” Voss claimed.
Once the work outside was done, Voss, Susan Helms, and Yuri Usachov moved inside the space station. There, Voss explained, “The first thing we started doing was outfitting the space station… we installed a lot of equipment.” Remarking on a new picture depicting this process, Dr. Voss admitted, “We use gray tape a lot up there... Hoses and cables have a mind of their own.”
Voss shared that “floating is really neat.” On the flip side, however, he explained that “it’s easy to move around in space.” Too easy. He explained that astronauts have to do a lot of exercise to compensate.
The space station has vibration isolated exercise equipment just for that purpose. It is vibration-isolated to prevent the vibrations of exercises from shaking the whole space station.
Voss and Usachov settled into the Russian part of the station, while Susan slept in the lab. Voss commented that sleeping in space is really comfortable. He said, “I never woke up except when we had an alarm, which happened many, many times… I love sleeping in space.”
Space shuttle Endeavor was the first visitor to arrive. It arrived in 2001, so Helms and the crew played the theme from “Space Odyssey 2001” to greet them.
While the space shuttle was there, they took the opportunity for a space walk as the space station was, as of yet, only ready for Russian space walks.
They threw a party before the Endeavor left.
One day later, a Soyuz arrived with the first tourist to space. There is always a Soyuz docked with the space station that can serve as a means of emergency evacuation. This Soyuz is replaced with a new one every six months.
One of the experiments on board involved having a satellite learn to control itself in response to disturbances with the Van Allen radiation belt from experience. He commented that he was impressed by how well everything that came to the space station fit and worked together. A vacuum hose was the only thing that didn’t work during the trip.
Voss explained, “You get a sun rise or sun set every 45 minutes in space.” He commented that one of his favorite things about space is “just looking out the window… the earth is so beautiful.” He commented that the deserts and oceans are the most beautiful. “Even looking at the clouds from space is pretty darn neat,” he said.
“The food’s really pretty good,” he commented, though the Russian foods could be a little bland and that they sometimes needed some Tabasco.
After nearly six months, Voss, Helms, and Usachov flew back on the space shuttle Discovery after providing brief training to their replacements. Voss admitted, “I was ready to go home, to be honest with you.” On the way back, Discovery flew around the space station looking for damage and then headed for earth, where the crew faced months of rehabilitation on account of the weakening affects of space.
“I had to get back in shape to be able to walk very well,” Voss explained. He has come to believe that it takes a day on earth for every day spent in space for someone to get back to where they were physically.
“Bone mass loss is another thing that happens in space,” Voss added. All this happens because bodies get used to not having the strain of gravity on them.
Dr. Voss summarized, “That was how I spent my summer in 2001.”
Speaking to the Intro to Space Exploration class at Mines, Voss noted that the crowd consisted largely of engineers. “71% of astronauts have an engineering degree,” he explained.
Upon arrival at the space station, Voss took what was the “longest space walk in history.” It was nine hours long. Among other things, Voss and his comrades attached a “multi-purpose logistics module.” Despite its being weighed at 100 lbs, “I was able to move it about myself,” Voss claimed.
Once the work outside was done, Voss, Susan Helms, and Yuri Usachov moved inside the space station. There, Voss explained, “The first thing we started doing was outfitting the space station… we installed a lot of equipment.” Remarking on a new picture depicting this process, Dr. Voss admitted, “We use gray tape a lot up there... Hoses and cables have a mind of their own.”
Voss shared that “floating is really neat.” On the flip side, however, he explained that “it’s easy to move around in space.” Too easy. He explained that astronauts have to do a lot of exercise to compensate.
The space station has vibration isolated exercise equipment just for that purpose. It is vibration-isolated to prevent the vibrations of exercises from shaking the whole space station.
Voss and Usachov settled into the Russian part of the station, while Susan slept in the lab. Voss commented that sleeping in space is really comfortable. He said, “I never woke up except when we had an alarm, which happened many, many times… I love sleeping in space.”
Space shuttle Endeavor was the first visitor to arrive. It arrived in 2001, so Helms and the crew played the theme from “Space Odyssey 2001” to greet them.
While the space shuttle was there, they took the opportunity for a space walk as the space station was, as of yet, only ready for Russian space walks.
They threw a party before the Endeavor left.
One day later, a Soyuz arrived with the first tourist to space. There is always a Soyuz docked with the space station that can serve as a means of emergency evacuation. This Soyuz is replaced with a new one every six months.
One of the experiments on board involved having a satellite learn to control itself in response to disturbances with the Van Allen radiation belt from experience. He commented that he was impressed by how well everything that came to the space station fit and worked together. A vacuum hose was the only thing that didn’t work during the trip.
Voss explained, “You get a sun rise or sun set every 45 minutes in space.” He commented that one of his favorite things about space is “just looking out the window… the earth is so beautiful.” He commented that the deserts and oceans are the most beautiful. “Even looking at the clouds from space is pretty darn neat,” he said.
“The food’s really pretty good,” he commented, though the Russian foods could be a little bland and that they sometimes needed some Tabasco.
After nearly six months, Voss, Helms, and Usachov flew back on the space shuttle Discovery after providing brief training to their replacements. Voss admitted, “I was ready to go home, to be honest with you.” On the way back, Discovery flew around the space station looking for damage and then headed for earth, where the crew faced months of rehabilitation on account of the weakening affects of space.
“I had to get back in shape to be able to walk very well,” Voss explained. He has come to believe that it takes a day on earth for every day spent in space for someone to get back to where they were physically.
“Bone mass loss is another thing that happens in space,” Voss added. All this happens because bodies get used to not having the strain of gravity on them.
Dr. Voss summarized, “That was how I spent my summer in 2001.”
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