Basic needs in space

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Basic needs in space

Exercise

Upper body exercises

Astronauts use a weightlifting machine called ARED (Advanced Restrictive Exercise Device) to help them exercise their upper body.

Lower body exercises

Astronauts use a treadmill to exercise their lower body. A vest with hooks is worn and then is attached to the treadmill so they do not float.

Hygiene

Brushing teeth daily

Astronauts brush their teeth in space by putting a ball of water on the toothbrush and then putting tooth paste on it. After which they brush normally, swallow the toothpaste and make another ball of water to rinse the toothbrush.

Washing hands when dirty

Astronauts wash their hands by making a bubble with a bag of no rinse water. They spread the water over the hand by touching the bubble and then wipe the hands with a towel.

Washing hair daily

Hair is washed in space by rubbing water on the hair and then applying a no rinse shampoo. After that astronauts use a towel to dry hair.

Once in a while hair cuts

Astronauts cut their hair in space by using a hair clipper connected to a vacuum so when it gets cut hair goes straight into the vacuum.

Cutting fingernails when long

Astronauts cut their nails near an air duct. Cutting the nails near the air duct will prevent them from floating away and the duct would suck the nails. Astronauts just need to vacuum the nails after so they do not stay there forever.

Food

Eating food

Astronauts eat normally with a difference that they can not place there food on tables like on Earth and they have to be careful about the food floating away before eating.

Packaging the food

The food is packaged in an oxygen free environment to prevent mold from growing. It is mostly squeezed out of tubes and brought up in dehydrated packets.

Preserving the food

The food is preserved by being freeze-dried. Freeze-drying is a method that evaporates water using heat preserving products for a long time.

Air

Fungus growth in air

A device called Microbial filter samples the air by sucking it through the and a petri dish inside the filter collects the air. In 5 days fungus will grow if there is any, then the person using it (most likely an astronaut) will know if they need to clean their area in space.

Cleaning air

A life support system uses a silica gel to remove humidity or water from the air allowing another piece of hardware to more efficiently scrub carbon dioxide from the air and keeps air from becoming toxic.

Subtopic

Water

Drinking water

Astronauts first hook a water bag to a dispenser. The dispenser then fills the bag with water to drink. Attached to the bag is a straw to help drink the water and a clip is on the straw to mimic the function of a tap.

Recycling water

A keg sized distiller is used to create artificial gravity and move waste water along which helps reclaim and recycle all the waste water used.

Purifying water

Since 2010 a purification system was built which purifies water in a short amount of time. First a filter removes particles and debris from the water, then the water passes through the "multi-filtration beds," which contain substances that remove inorganic impurities.