The 37th team will land only on Sunday, the 39th team already arrived on Thursday. Today a spacewalk of two Russian cosmonauts is also expected outside the station, who will also light (and extinguish) the Olympic torch
Astronauts from crews 37,38, 39 and XNUMX during a press conference on the International Space Station. In the front row, the American Karak Nyberg, the Russian Fyodor Yurchikhin and the Italian Luca Parmitano. In the second row (also from left to right) the American Michael Hopkins, and the Russians Oleg Katutev and Serhiy Rizinsky. In the back row is the American Rick Masercho, the Japanese Kyuchi Wakata and the Russian axomonaut Mikhail Tyurin. Screenshot: NASA TV
Crowded these days on the International Space Station. For several days, nine astronauts stayed in it. A typical station crew size ranges from three to six people. How do they work and sleep?
"One of the things we had to do was to prepare a place for them," said the Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano representing the European Space Agency at a press conference yesterday (November 8) from the station, among the journalists who participated was also a representative of Universe Today. Parmitano explained the hectic process as the astronauts moved Soyuz spacecraft from one docking station to another a few days before the 38th/39th crew arrived at the station on Thursday. This allowed more than three people to arrive.
"We also had to adjust the emergency procedures. All rescue training focused on a team of six. We had to develop procedures in case something went wrong." As for sleeping, it was decided that the six people who were already on the station, as seniors, would sleep in the staff quarters. The new astronauts have been given temporary lodging arrangements in other components of the station until the number is reduced again on Sunday with the landing of the oldest trio.
In the long term, will it be possible to maintain a team of more than six people, will it be possible to carry out scientific work?
"Moving to a nine-person team is feasible and will only improve scientific work," said NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg. The station partners have experienced large teams in the past. (During the ferries period. AB) At the time of construction, the station staff consisted of only three people, and the increase to six was a big leap. One source of concern is the environmental control system - the one that handles carbon dioxide as well as the rate of supply consumption," she added.
Parmitano, Nyberg and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin are preparing to return to Earth on Sunday. On Saturday, two of the Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kutov and Sergey Ryazinsky are expected to perform a spacewalk, starting at 16:30 Israel time.
As part of the preparations for the Winter Olympics in Sochi 2014, the Olympic torch was also brought to the station. The two would light it but turn it off before going outside to maintain the spaceship. Among other things, they intend to build a facility on the outer side of the station's rover module in preparation for the installation of a high-resolution camera in December and to relocate footholds for future spacewalks, as well as to finish the operation of an experimental package.
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Nine astronauts it really complicates things
Just think about taking an order as everyone wants their coffee.
One without, one with sugar, one without, one black... a serious problem.