GabyCatherine (Keddy) Coleman is the same astronaut. NASA who advised actress Sandra Bullock during her filming for Alfonso Cuarón’s movie “Gravity” (2013). Later in her book “The Space Between,” Ms. Coleman, who once worked on the International Space Station (ISS), explained that Bullock’s role and the experience of a real astronaut on the ISS are two very different things.
Catherine Coleman (born 1960) is an American NASA astronaut, a doctor of chemical sciences, and a former officer in the U.S. Air Force. She served as part of the 26th expedition aboard the ISS in 2010-2011.
The ability to operate in a super-heavy spacesuit is a matter of life and death.
According to Kedi, the real life of female astronauts has nothing in common with Sandra Bullock’s “glamorous” image in “Gravity.”
Catherine described the painful process of wearing bulky universal suits for going out into the open. space In 2003, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) decided to eliminate the smallest size of space suit. This meant that the arsenal of space explorers was left with only one size, which ideally should fit everyone. However, in reality, it “fits all the guys,” Ms. Coleman clarified.
According to her, a spacesuit for going into open space is unlike any other clothing. “It’s difficult to work inside it, even if it fits perfectly, and when it’s too big – that’s another story. And don’t forget that your ability to act inside this suit is literally a matter of life and death,” she noted. astronaut .
The process of putting on the suit takes about an hour and can only be done with the help of a team of specialists. First, an adult diaper is put on. It may not be necessary, but it’s a precaution just in case. Next comes the standard sports bra, which “almost always shrinks beyond recognition in NASA’s industrial dryers.”
The next layer is long underwear that absorbs sweat and provides additional cushioning from the rigid edges of the spacesuit. Then comes the critically important garment – the LCVG (Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment). It’s a kind of jumpsuit with numerous tubes woven into the fabric that carry water, resembling large veins.
“When you move around inside a suit that weighs about 130 kilograms, your body heats up quickly, and the LCVG allows you to adjust its temperature using a hard-to-reach handle on the front,” said Katherine Coleman.
Just a little more – and it will be a complete set?
The suit also includes elbow pads, knee pads, 8-centimeter thigh pads, a 10-centimeter groin pad, and a special belt. Only after that can the main part of the suit be put on.
“Since my agility is already limited by the water tubes pressed against my long underwear, I plop down on my butt and wriggle forward into the lower part of the spacesuit until my legs are inside the boots. Then – with a loud ‘one-two-three!’ – the technicians help me to my feet,” writes the astronaut.
And he continues: “Supported by the brave technicians in spacesuits, I walk a few feet and climb onto the platform, where I see the upper part of my spacesuit attached to a stand. Ducking down and tilting my head and shoulders back, I slide into its interior, first sticking out my arms and then my head, like a turtle. The technicians connect the upper and lower parts. They also put a communication cap on my head, which will help me communicate with the Flight Control Center.”
Final phase – gloves and helmet
“I push my fingers inside the glove lining, making sure the seams are turned outward, and I insert each finger into the corresponding slot. Then I put on the large, secured gloves,” after these words, Catherine Coleman seems to suggest that the finale of this multi-step process is just around the corner. After all, it comes down to the helmet.
As Kedi explained, if your nose suddenly itches, you won’t be able to scratch it for the next few hours.
“I’m not at all like Sandra Bullock in ‘Gravity,’ who slips into her spacesuit wearing little black shorts and a tank top before heading off to the stars. Rather, I resemble an awkward Egyptian mummy that just emerged from a tomb,” jokes Ms. Coleman.
Sandra Bullock during her filming for Alfonso Cuarón’s movie “Gravity” (2013).
Training for spacewalks usually takes place in a pool and lasts for 6 hours. It requires significant concentration. When astronauts are submerged underwater, they often do not notice the discomfort from their suits.
At the end of the session, the astronaut removes each layer of clothing in reverse order, the publication reported. Daily Mail .
“I am always surprised when I see myself in the mirror afterward. My arms and legs are covered in red and purple bruises and scrapes. My nail beds are often damaged, which sometimes leads to losing a nail,” writes the astronaut.
Fortunately, the technologies for conquering space are constantly improving. Catherine suggests that “when the first woman embarks on the NASA mission ‘Artemis’ in 2025…” Mars “She will have a modernized spacesuit.”
