Life in space is anything but boring, as astronaut Sunita Williams shows in new photos shared by NASA. In the photos, Williams, who has now been in space for six months, is seen imitating the tentacle-like arm movements of the Astrobee robotic free-flyer, which assists astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS).
NASA explained that the Astrobee robots were developed to help astronauts perform their daily activities. The robotic freeflyers help astronauts with their daily tasks, freeing them up to focus on something only humans can do.
“The robots operate autonomously or via remote control by astronauts, flight controllers or researchers on the ground and are designed to perform tasks such as taking inventory, documenting experiments conducted by astronauts with their onboard cameras or working together to move cargo around the station. ,” NASA said in its statement.
How do astronauts drink in space?
Recently, Sunita Williams demonstrated how astronauts drink in space. The virtual session was hosted for the students of Sunita Williams Elementary School in Needham, Massachusetts. The one-day event aimed to help children understand the essence of life on the International Space Station (ISS) and the difficulties astronauts face when in the microgravity environment.
None of the usual drinking methods work in space. Unlike on Earth, where liquids can easily flow from one cup to another, liquids in space float out in droplets. The solution is to store the liquid in special bags that can be compressed and controlled. According to Williams, these bags have straws and sealed openings to prevent leakage, so astronauts can drink without making a mess.
“All our drinks are in here,” said Sunita Williams, showing a silver bag with a straw on it. She also talked about her daily activities in the space and explained how to come up with creative solutions to carry out daily chores in the space.
