LIFE ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

We tend to think of space travel in only the noblest of terms; steely-eyed men and women exploring the final frontier, the advancement of all human knowledge. But astronauts are people like every one of us, subject to idiosyncrasies, pettiness, and insecurities.

Things that we take for granted on Earth, such as washing our hair, popping to the shop for some milk or going to the toilet, become more of a challenge in Space. 

Here are some insights into life in space....

The International Space Station (ISS) is a habitable human-made satellite that orbits Earth. While it may be difficult to judge the scale of the ISS on a television screen, it is the same size as a football pitch. 

Astronauts making and eating hamburgers on board the ISS August 2007

There are different compartments for the American, Russian, European and Japanese astronauts. They all come together to have dinner but then head to their own labs to do research work.

RSA cosmonaut Gennady Padalka performs an ultrasound exam on NASA astronaut
Michael Fincke during Expedition 9 aboard the International Space Station.

During the six months that most astronauts spend on the International Space Station, they can grow up to 3 percent taller. 

Without gravity, the spine is free to expand, making the space flyers taller, even when they first return to Earth.

Astronaut Catherine (Cady) Coleman trims the hair of European Space Agency
astronaut Paolo Nespoli on the International Space Station during Expedition 26.

You can’t have running water as water causes problems if it gets loose in your cabin.You take a wash cloth and a bag of water and have a sponge bath. 

Space Station residents have liquid soap. 

Once they’re done with their towel they hang it up and the air flow will dry it out. 

For their hair they can use waterless shampoo.

NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, Expedition 36 flight engineer, attired in an
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit

Under their space suits, astronauts wear nappies.The space suit is your own little space ship. You can’t just take it off, go inside and do whatever. It makes everything convenient and a lot less stressful to know you can do that if you need to. 

Daniel Tani in ISS sleeping bag

As there is no “up or down” in Space, beds are positioned on the walls, ceilings and floor. Sleeping bags are strapped to the walls so they don’t float away.

Astronaut Sunita Williams
bungeed to the TVIS treadmill
aboard the International Space Station.

In the weightlessness of space, muscles aren't needed to support the body. An astronaut's muscles start to adapt to that change almost immediately. 

Due to the low gravity, the heart has a far easier time of pumping blood around the body in space than it does on Earth. 

This can be dangerous, as it gradually pumps less and less and becomes weaker, so astronauts must exercise for several hours a day to keep it working hard.

There are two treadmills and two stationary bicycles on board the space station to help the residents keep in shape during their time in orbit.

Astronauts have reported seeing flashes of light zap through their eyes as they try to rest, making it difficult for them to sleep on the space station. 

The flashes are actually from cosmic rays — high-energy particles that beam through the solar system — shooting through the orbiting outpost. 

Spaceflyers have described the flashes as "fireworks" or "streaks."

Cady Coleman plays a flute inside the International Space Station.

The International Space Station orbits the Earth at about 17,000mph (27,000kph). This means astronauts aboard the ISS see the Sun rise and set every 90 minutes. However, their clocks run to UTC and they work 9-5, just like on Earth, to keep their days ordered.

Dmitri Kondratyev and Paolo Nespoli photograph the Earth through the Cupola

The astronauts can visit the cupola, an observatory pod from which they can see Earth.

Sometimes, space flyers will drop things on earth, forgetting that gravity is influential back on Earth. After six months in micro-gravity conditions, it is difficult to adjust to life in a place where materials fall if you drop them. 

It is not only a fun job being an astronaut in space. It involves a lot of courage a sacrifice to be the chosen ones. We salute the brave astronauts!!

Fun With Roller Coasters

Roller coasters!!! Doesn't the word conjures up thrilling images in your mind and butterflies in your stomach!

Today , I will explore the world of roller coasters, right from their conception to how they are made, to why we love them.

And you can even try your hand at building your own roller coaster!

I would love to see and post your roller coaster photos or trivia here so do share it with me.

HISTORY OF ROLLER COASTERS

In the 1600s in Russia, the forerunners of present-day roller coasters were huge blocks of ice that were fashioned into sleds, with straw or fur on the icy seat for passenger comfort. Sand was used to help slow down the sled at the end of the ride to keep it from crashing. 

America's amusement park history begins on Coney Island in 1875.  in 1884, the first gravity switchback train was introduced. This was the first true roller coaster in America.

In 1912, the first underfriction roller coaster was introduced by John Miller. This design held the coaster train on the track and allowed for more speed, steeper hills, and less drag. 

The 1920s saw the building of some of the best roller coasters of all times. 

In 1955, the nation's first theme park opened: Disneyland.

In 1959 Disney introduced the Matterhorn, the first tubular steel coaster. The exciting features we expect from today's coasters--loops, a corkscrew track, and stability--can be traced back to this first steel coaster.

The first successful inverted coaster was introduced in 1992, and now you can find passengers riding in coasters with their feet dangling freely below them (and occasionally above them) 

HOW DOES A ROLLER COASTER WORK

At its most basic level, a roller coaster is a machine that uses gravity and inertia to send a train along a winding track.
The purpose of the coaster's initial ascent is to build up a sort of reservoir of potential energy. 
The concept of potential energy, often referred to as energy of position, is very simple: As the coaster gets higher in the air, gravity can pull it down a greater distance. The potential energy you build going up the hill can be released as kinetic energy -- the energy of motion that takes you down the hill.Once you start cruising down that first hill, gravity takes over and all the built-up potential e­nergy changes to kinetic energy. Gravity applies a constant downward force on the cars.

THE FUNNY FEELINGS ON BOARD A ROLLER COASTER

THE PUSH BACK FEELING

Your body feels acceleration in a funny way. When a coaster car is speeding up, the actual force acting on you is the seat pushing your body forward. But, because of your body's inertia, you feel a force in front of you, pushing you into the seat.

THE FEELING OF WEIGHTLESSNESS

It constantly changes its acceleration and its position to the ground, making the forces of gravity and acceleration interact in many interesting ways. When you plummet down a steep hill, gravity pulls you down while the acceleration force seems to be pulling you up. At a certain rate of acceleration, these opposite forces balance each other out, making you feel a sensation of weightlessness -- the same sensation a skydiver feels in free fall. 

THE SINKING FEELING - BUTTERFLIES IN YOUR STOMACH

Normally, all the parts of your body are pushing on each other because of the constant force of gravity. But in the "free-fall" state of plummeting down a hill, there is hardly any net force acting on you. In this case, the various pieces of your body are not pushing on each other as much. They are all, essentially, weightless, each falling individually inside your body. This is what gives you that unique sinking feeling in your stomach -- your stomach is suddenly very light because there is less force pushing on it. 

OUT OF CONTROL SPEED

On a roller coaster, this full-body sensation is complemented by all sorts of visual cues -- the upside-down turns, dizzying heights and passing structures. Visual cues are an important part of the ride because they tell you that you are going fast.

THE WORLD'S FAMOUS ROLLER COASTERS

I have given an entire page to the world's famous Roller Coasters and what they are known for. 

Follow this link http://amazingnatureandscience.blogspot.in/p/blog-page.html or click on this page icon on the right.

MAKE YOUR OWN ROLLER COASTER

I found this great interactive site that allows you to build your own roller coaster. Try it and have fun!

To make your own roller coaster click on this link : build your rollercoaster