It sounds less than ideal — but as the report notes, Williams and Wilmore’s difficulties don’t end with their sleeping arrangements.

As with every ISS mission, the Starliner astronauts initially had specific jobs to do on board the station that would have eaten up their eight-day journey. As Time reports, their main priority was checking in on the Boeing capsule and making sure its communications, life support, and other essential functions were in good shape.

With that checklist done and their journey having been extended until possibly February due to Starliner’s technical issues, Wilmore and Williams have instead been assisting their fellow crew members with their tasks and experiments, including repairing a urine processing pump.

Beyond that lovely job, Wilmore and Williams were also forced to stretch their clothing rations because there’s no laundry on board the ISS. Generally speaking, astronauts pack enough clothes for the length of their journey, and with their trip home having been pushed back repeatedly, the Starliner crew had to make do until a Northrop Grumman resupply mission finally came to deliver them new clothes earlier this month.

  • Pennomi@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    59
    ·
    3 months ago

    Trust me, wearing used clothing is far, FAR from the most uncomfortable thing an astronaut does. If something like that bothers you, you wouldn’t sign up for being an astronaut.

    • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      22
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      3 months ago

      Hell, I wouldn’t sign up just because of the amount of exercise they have to do every day to avoid atrophy. I’m far too lazy.