Astronaut Marsha Ivins describes life in space

November 19, 2014 11:17 PM

Astronaut Marsha Ivins describes her experiences: prelaunch, launch, and zero-g: "It’s a mix of the transcendently magical and the deeply prosaic."
posted by paleyellowwithorange (13 comments total)

This was too short. I may almost like it more because of that.
posted by axiom at 12:21 AM on November 20, 2014

*frantically taking notes for my SF story*

Seriously, I love these sort of "slice of space life" stories. The differences in the environment, the isolation, the implication that sleeping in a cold airlock is OK because it gives more privacy..
posted by happyroach at 12:21 AM on November 20, 2014 [2 favorites]

Privacy? If I recall, one of the first questions asked of astronauts was "How do you pee in space?"
posted by Cranberry at 12:59 AM on November 20, 2014

Did I feed the dog?

Forget that and the ghost of Laika will come scratching at your hatch.
posted by pracowity at 1:13 AM on November 20, 2014 [5 favorites]

It's so crazy that some people's job is astronaut. And that one can go from the ground to orbit in 8.5 minutes. Incredible.
posted by univac at 2:26 AM on November 20, 2014

And that one can go from the ground to orbit in 8.5 minutes.

It's really a short trip. Like driving a rig from Bismarck to Fargo, only straight up.

Just don't forget to do up your hair before you pull out of the driveway.
posted by pracowity at 2:39 AM on November 20, 2014 [3 favorites]

"Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air....

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace.
Where never lark, or even eagle flew —
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
- Put out my hand, and touched the face of God."


"High Flight" by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
posted by Pyrogenesis at 3:27 AM on November 20, 2014

Like driving a rig from Bismarck to Fargo, only straight up.

Well, the drive is a lot more sideways than straight up, but ok.
posted by effbot at 4:25 AM on November 20, 2014

You may know Marsha Ivins from this spectacular photo of her at work during STS-98
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:34 AM on November 20, 2014 [1 favorite]

. . . I slept on the flight deck, my sleeping bag strapped beneath the overhead windows. The position of the shuttle put Earth in those windows, so when I woke up the whole world was out there in front of me—in that moment, just for me alone.

This sounds like a lovely way to spend the night.

Then you strap your head to the pillow—a block of foam—with another Velcro strap. . .

This, less so.

Thanks for posting.
posted by Banknote of the year at 8:13 AM on November 20, 2014

It was incredibly hard work, stressful in its own way, and scary—if you screwed up, you screwed up with people all over the world watching.

You know, I think the part that I'd be scared of wouldn't be the "making a fool out of myself in front of literally the whole planet" so much as the "drifting off into space, never to be seen again, while my oxygen supplies gradually run down to nothing". I guess that's just me?
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 11:08 AM on November 20, 2014

You know, I think the part that I'd be scared of wouldn't be the "making a fool out of myself in front of literally the whole planet" so much as the "drifting off into space, never to be seen again, while my oxygen supplies gradually run down to nothing".

That's a ridiculous fear.

The ship would run out of power long before oxygen, causing the craft's systems to overheat and blow fuses and circuits, which would kill the life support systems. It would be question of whether the CO2 buildup killed you first or simply freezing to death.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:11 AM on November 20, 2014

Also, there would be no drifting off into space. Instead, it would be a slowly decaying orbit that would eventually, long after the power and oxygen gives out, result in burning up on an uncontrolled reentery..

Feel better?
posted by happyroach at 2:43 PM on November 20, 2014