Scares in space

[docm]

Cosmic Log link....<br /><br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p><b>Scares in space</b><br /><br />Did you hear the one about the astronaut who threw up in his spacesuit? Or about the cosmonaut who had to get medical treatment in space after walking into a floating glob of antifreeze? Or the astronaut who became so despondent after his orbital experiment failed that his colleagues feared he would blow the hatch on the space shuttle?<br /><br />Former NASA flight surgeon Jon Clark has heard them all, and he says the adverse experiences from nearly a half-century of spaceflight hold lessons for a new generation of private-sector space fliers.<br /><br />Clark, a former NASA flight surgeon, set out an overview of virtually everything that could go wrong healthwise in space this week during the International Space Development Conference in Dallas. Although he no longer works for the space agency, he's the space medicine liaison for the National Space Biomedical Research Institute and serves as an adviser for a number of space ventures, including Orbital Outfitters.<br /><br />When it comes to those space ventures, Clark's bottom line is that going to space is by no means a walk in the park. "Even in well-funded government programs, where they pay a ton of money in, stuff happens," he said. (Clark knows all too well the worst that could happen: His wife, Laurel Clark, was one of the astronauts who died in the Columbia tragedy - but that's another story.)<br /> /><br />So how do you prepare for a spaceflight? How do you know how the ups-and-downs will feel? Virgin Galactic, the suborbital space tourism venture backed by British billionaire Richard Branson, is already setting up a medical information and screening system to get its first fliers ready to launch.<br /><br />Virgin Galactic is on the verge of offering centrifuge spins to its customers as a way of acclimating t</p></blockquote> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[radarredux]

> <i><font color="yellow">Did you hear the one about the astronaut who threw up in his spacesuit?</font>/i><br /><br />I've always wondered about just a good simple sneeze. Its not like you can cover your mouth when you have a helmet on.</i>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Not unless your reflex punches through your faceplate...which would not be a good thing <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

This thread reminded me of an article I read a couple of years ago;<br /><br /> It's Not A Privy Picture <br />The Dirty Truth Behind Space Travel ... <br />By Gene Weingarten<br />Sunday, June 27, 2004<br />Sometimes, readers familiar with the full canon of my work will inquire, respectfully, if there exists a level of humor so infantile that I will not lower myself to it. The answer is yes. <br /><br />For example, a few months ago I wrote about a Dr. Johannes Aas, a pioneer in the field of human poop transplant. Well, shortly afterward I discovered (don't ask me how -- a journalist never reveals his sources) that there is, at the University of Maryland, a professor of electrical engineering named Dr. Andre Tits. I considered writing a column in which I telephoned Dr. Tits and suggested that he and Dr. Aas collaborate on a project. But then I decided that this was too immature, even for me. <br /><br />In case that doesn't settle the matter, perhaps this will: The other day I received a call from the highly prestigious, world-renowned Smithsonian Institution, wanting to know if I would be interested in covering -- exclusively -- the debut of a science exhibit. Please note that the Smithsonian chose me, and not David Broder. <br /><br />That is how I recently found myself at the Air and Space Museum's new exhibit of space toilets. <br /><br />Considering my stature, the Smithsonian arranged for a private showing conducted by Cathleen S. Lewis, curator of the space history division of the museum. The only other specially invited guests were the two dozen 4- and 5-year-olds in Ms. Castro's and Ms. Wells's preschool classes at the Smithsonian. They were celebrating Come-to-School-in-Your-Pajamas Day. <br /><br />(This is all true. In fact, it was only after I arrived that Smithsonian public affairs specialist Peter Golkin revealed that he had first tried, and failed, to interest KidsPost i <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>