>> HELLO!
I'M NASA ASTRONAUT
JESSICA MEIR.
I RECENTLY SPENT 205 DAYS
ONBOARD THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION.
THIS IS #AskNASA.
[ MUSIC ]
>> HELLO, MY NAME IS SANA.
WHEN PEOPLE PRACTICE
TO BE ASTRONAUTS,
HOW DO THEY PRACTICE?
YOU CAN'T JUST PULL AWAY,
UM, GRAVITY FROM A PLACE.
NO, YOU CAN'T,
BECAUSE IT'S INVISIBLE.
YOU CAN'T SEE IT,
SO HOW DO THEY PRACTICE?
>> WELL, SANA,
THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT
ALL OF THE NASA ENGINEERS
AND PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN
PERFECTING ON THE GROUND
FOR US IN ORDER TO TRAIN US
EFFECTIVELY AS ASTRONAUTS.
WE DO IT UNDER WATER
IN A REALLY BIG POOL CALLED
THE NEUTRAL BUOYANCY LAB.
UNDER WATER, WE CAN MIMIC
SOME OF THOSE EFFECTS.
WE CAN MAINTAIN WHAT WE CALL
NEUTRAL BUOYANCY,
WHERE WE DON'T FLOAT UP
AND WE DON'T SINK DOWN.
AND WE ALSO HAVE AN ENTIRE
REPLICA OF THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION, WHERE WE CAN
LEARN AND TRAIN IN THE INSIDE
OF THE SPACE STATION.
IT IS REALLY INTERESTING
FOR A LAUNCH,
BECAUSE WE HAVE SPENT
SO MANY HOURS TRAINING
AND LEARNING HOW TO
FLY THE SPACECRAFT.
I ACTUALLY HAD TO REMIND MYSELF,
WOW, THIS IS REAL THIS TIME.
SO IT WAS INCREDIBLY EXCITING
TO FINALLY START
FEELING THOSE THINGS.
YOU COULD FEEL
THE ENGINES IGNITE
AND YOU CAN FEEL
THE ACCELERATION ON YOUR BODY.
AND THEN, AFTER ONLY
ABOUT EIGHT MINUTES,
YOU'RE SUDDENLY WEIGHTLESS.
AND THEN YOU WOULD REALIZE,
OKAY, THIS IS REAL.
THIS ONE'S GOING TO ACTUALLY
CARRY ME TO SPACE.
WE ARE ABLE TO BRING
A FEW ITEMS WITH US,
SOME PERSONAL ITEMS THAT
YOU WANT TO SUPPORT
THROUGHOUT YOUR MISSION.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
I BROUGHT WAS MY PICCOLO.
[ "STAR WARS" THEME SONG ]
I ALSO FLEW MY PANDA BEAR,
PANDA MONIUM, WHO HAS BEEN WITH
ME SINCE I WAS SIX YEARS OLD.
HE'S BEEN IN THE ANTARCTIC,
HE'S BEEN TRAVELING
ALL AROUND THE PLANET,
AND NOW HE'S ALSO
BEEN TO SPACE.
SO FOR ME, MY SCHEDULE,
I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN
ABOUT THE SAME NUMBER OF HOURS.
SOME PEOPLE SLEEP
MUCH BETTER IN SPACE
THAN THEY DO ON EARTH,
BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE
THINGS LIKE SORE KNEES
OR BACKS WITHOUT GRAVITY
PUSHING DOWN ON YOU.
WHAT WE HAVE IS
A SLEEPING BAG,
AND WE HAVE THAT UP
AGAINST ONE OF THE WALLS,
AND IT'S STRAPPED TO
ONE OF THE WALLS SO THAT
YOU CAN KIND OF KEEP
YOURSELF IN POSITION.
I WOULD ZIP MYSELF IN
THE SLEEPING BAG AND I ALSO
HAD A LITTLE BELT THAT
I WRAPPED AROUND THE MIDDLE
AND I COULD PUT MY ARMS DOWN
AND TRY TO KEEP THEM
DOWN SOMETIMES.
SOMETIMES I ACTUALLY SLEPT
WITH MY ARMS UP OVER MY HEAD
LIKE THAT.
USUALLY PEOPLE LIKE TO
SECURE THEMSELVES A LITTLE BIT
SO YOU'RE NOT JUST KINDA
FREE-FLOATING EVERYWHERE
AND THEN KINDA
WAKING YOURSELF UP.
JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE,
GOING TO THE BATHROOM IN SPACE
IS SOMETHING THAT YOU
HAVE TO GET USED TO.
ONE OF THE BEST THINGS IS
TO GET TRAINING FROM
ALL OF YOUR CREW MATES
THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN UP THERE
AND ALREADY USED TO USING
EVERYTHING, LIKE THE TOILET.
AND HOW THAT WORKS,
WE ACTUALLY USE, LIKE,
A VACUUM SYSTEM.
SO IMAGINE IF YOU HAVE
A VACUUM CLEANER AND YOU'RE
SUCKING THINGS DOWN.
WE TURN ON A BIG FAN,
AND SO THAT'S PULLING EVERYTHING
DOWN INTO THE TOILET.
WE HAVE A LONG FUNNEL
THAT WE USE TO COLLECT
ALL OF THE URINE.
AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER SEAT
THAT YOU CAN SIT ON,
AGAIN, WITH THAT FAN
PULLING THINGS THROUGH
TO COLLECT EVERYTHING
AND KEEP IT CONTAINED,
WHICH OF COURSE,
IS THE MOST IMPORTANT
PART ON THE SPACE STATION.
YOU DON'T WANNA HAVE
EVERYTHING FLOATING AROUND.
[ REWINDING ]
...FLOATING AROUND.
AND IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING
FOR ME IN THE BEGINNING
IN THOSE FIRST FEW DAYS,
YOUR BODY IS SENSING THINGS
DIFFERENTLY, TOO,
WITHOUT GRAVITY.
YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING--
INCLUDING YOUR INTERNAL ORGANS,
EVERYTHING IS
KIND OF LIFTED UP.
AND SO SOME OF THOSE
PRESSURE SENSORS THAT
GIVE YOU THAT FEELING THAT
YOU NEED TO GO TO THE BATHROOM,
THAT FEELING OF FULLNESS
IN YOU BLADDER,
THAT TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF TIME
TO ADJUST TO SPACE AS WELL.
WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING
A NEW TOILET ONBOARD
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
THIS NEW TOILET IS GOING TO BE
A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO USE
FOR BOTH MEN AND WOMEN.
OF COURSE, THERE ARE SOME
ANATOMICAL DIFFERENCE,
AND SOME OF THE EARLIER
VERSIONS DIDN'T
TAKE INTO ACCOUNT
EVERYTHING EQUALLY KIND OF
FOR BOTH MEN AND WOMEN,
SO THIS ONE SHOULD BE
A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO USE
FOR EVERYBODY.
IT'LL ALSO INCREASE
THE CAPACITY.
WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER TOILET
ONBOARD THE SPACE STATION.
WE CAN CONTINUE TO TEST
AND REFINE THESE TECHNOLOGIES
THAT WILL BE USED ON THE FUTURE
IN THE ORION SPACECRAFT
WHEN ASTRONAUTS RETURN
TO THE MOON.
MOST FEMALE ASTRONAUTS
ACTUALLY SUPPRESS THEIR
MENSTRUAL CYCLE WHEN WE GO
ON OUR SPACE MISSIONS,
JUST TO MAKE THINGS
A LITTLE BIT MORE CONVENIENT.
IT CERTAINLY IS NOT
A REQUIREMENT.
ALL OF THOSE FUNCTIONS
CAN GO EXACTLY AS THEY DO
DOWN ON EARTH.
WE HAVE SUPPLIES UP THERE
AS NEEDED AND WE CAN
ACCOMMODATE IT WITH ALL
OF THE HARDWARE THAT WE
HAVE FOR THE TOILET.
TO WASH OUR HAIR,
WE TAKE A DRINK BAG,
JUST LIKE THE NORMAL
DRINK BAGS WE USE,
SO I'LL GET MY HAIR
NICE AND WET,
AND YOU HAVE TO JUST
TAKE THAT WATER AND GET IT--
TOUCH RIGHT UP TO YOUR HAIR
SO THAT IT STICKS
ONTO YOUR HAIR,
AND THEN YOU'LL
RINSE IT ALL AROUND,
APPLY YOUR SHAMPOO,
RINSE IT AGAIN,
AND THEN TOWEL IT OFF.
IT'S PRETTY SIMILAR
TO WASHING YOUR HAIR
ON THE GROUND.
THE FOOD THAT WE EAT ON
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
IS DELICIOUS THESE DAYS.
IT'S REALLY NOT THAT KIND OF
FREEZE-DRIED ICE CREAM THING
THAT PEOPLE HAVE THIS
IDEA THAT WE EAT.
WE HAVE AN ENTIRE LAB AT
THE NASA JOHNSON SPACE CENTER
THAT IS ALWAYS DEVELOPING
NEW AND DELICIOUS FOODS,
AND I WAS EVEN A SUBJECT
FOR AN EXPERIMENT UP THERE
CALLED FOOD PHYSIOLOGY
WHERE I HAD A WHOLE DIFFERENT
KIND OF MENU.
THINGS LIKE MORE FISHES,
HIGHER OMEGA-3s,
MORE LYCOPENE,
MORE VEGETABLES.
I WOULD SAY THE ONLY THING
THAT IS LACKING AS SORT OF
A FOODIE HERE ON EARTH
IS THE PRESENTATION.
YOU NEVER FORGET THAT FIRST
MOMENT WHEN THE HATCH OPENS
AND YOU TAKE YOUR
FIRST MOVEMENTS OUT OF
THE SPACE STATION
AND INTO THE VOID OF SPACE.
NOTHING ELSE BETWEEN
MY BOOTS AND THE EARTH BELOW.
AND YOU GET MUCH MORE OF
A SENSE OF MOTION
WHEN YOU'RE ON SPACEWALK
OF HOW QUICKLY WE'RE MOVING,
PASSING OVER THE EARTH
17,500 MILES PER HOUR,
GOING AROUND THE ENTIRE PLANET
EVERY 90 MINUTES.
YOU'RE IN THE SPACE SUIT
AND YOUR BODY IS KIND OF
AT A STRANGE ANGLE
AND IT'S 450 POUNDS OF MASS
THAT YOU NEED TO MOVE AROUND,
AND EVERY MOVEMENT IS
PRESSURIZED WITH YOUR HANDS.
EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, THOUGH,
YOU DO NEED TO REMIND YOURSELF
JUST TO TAKE A MOMENT
AND ENJOY WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
APPRECIATE IT.
CHRISTINA AND I BOTH
FELT SO PRIVILEGED
TO HAVE HAD ANY TYPE OF ROLE
IN THAT HISTORIC EVENT.
AND FOR US, I THINK IT WAS
THE MOST IMPORTANT,
NOT FOR OUR
PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS,
BUT REALLY FOR THE GENERATIONS
OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES
THAT WERE PUSHING THE ENVELOPE
WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE
A SEAT AT THE TABLE.
BUT THAT DAY,
SO MANY PEOPLE WERE WATCHING
AND SO MANY PEOPLE WERE EXCITED.
PEOPLE OF ALL AGES.
YOUNG GIRLS, YOUNG BOYS, TOO,
AND ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT IT BROUGHT TO MIND
WAS THAT ANYBODY CAN
ACCOMPLISH THEIR DREAM,
NO MATTER WHO WE ARE,
WHAT WE LOOK LIKE,
OR WHAT OUR BACKGROUND IS,
THOSE POSSIBILITIES ARE
OPEN TO EVERYBODY.
>> DO YOU HAVE
A QUESTION FOR NASA?
WRITE US OR SEND IN YOUR VIDEO
USING THE HASHTAG, #AskNASA.