Quiz Answers
Question 1
How do astronauts “flush” the space station’s toilet?
Answer: With a vacuum. Human waste is sucked into bags for storage. Before you go, you have to strap yourself in so you don’t spray everywhere.
Question 2
What untidy guest is a problem on the International Space Station?
Answer: Mold. No matter how clean they are, astronauts carry mold spores into space with them, and the resulting molds find the space station a great place to live. The old Russian space station was notoriously moldy, but even the new International Space Station has plenty of mold growing in it. And it’s more than unsightly—molds can corrode metal and otherwise compromise key features.
Question 3
How often do astronauts have to clean out their refrigerator?
Answer: Never. There is no need for a fridge since all the food is dehydrated and nonperishable.
Question 4
How many bedrooms does the space station have?
Answer: Two - That is, if you can consider its two little cabins “bedrooms.” If there are more than two astronauts on the station at a given time, the extras just tether themselves to a wall and sleep there.
Question 5
How often do astronauts change their underwear?
Answer: Once or twice a week. Fortunately, folks don’t get as dirty in space. Astronauts sometimes do their own laundry—but there isn’t a washing machine, so they do it by hand!
Question 6
Why is showering in space dangerous?
Answer: Water goes everywhere. Because of the lack of gravity, molecules of water float off in all directions—and one place you definitely don’t want water just flying around is a space station, as there’s quite a bit of electrical equipment on board. A vacuum sucks up the water droplets. Astronauts also have products like rinseless shampoo that allow them to skip the water entirely, as it’s precious in space.
Question 7
Astronauts are able to generate their own drinking water. Where do they get it?
Answer: All of the above. People exhale water vapor when they breathe, and astronauts are able to collect, condense and sterilize this vapor for drinking and other purposes. They collect urine and used water (also known as gray water) for the same purpose. When lab rats debut in the space station, their pee will be collected and used, too. “The water that we generate is much cleaner than anything you’ll ever get out of any tap in the United States,” says one engineer.
