Astronauts stuck in space, terrifying!

[Allnewtometoo]

I realise this happened a couple of months ago but I've only come across it today, and they're still there.

They went for 8 days, and likely to be there for 8 months.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg4yqepr469o

I did not know this, thanks!

I agree with you, OP.

Yes, being in the ISS is less terrifying than being lost, alone in space.....but it's still a frightening situation to find yourself in.

I can't get worked up by this. If you are stupid enough to go to space knowing the risks then you can't expect my sympathy when everything doesn't go to plan.

Really? It's à problem at the very list because they didn't plan to be there that long. Missed family time, missed etc
@Drogdab it's newsworthy because it's an unusual situation and because space stuff is fascinating even the seemingly inane. Am wondering for example what is happening their bodies. I am wondering if they'll beat Valeri Polyakov's record of most continous time in space or will it just be most unplanned time in space? May be not newsworthy for you but for some of us it is. Exciting times!

I feel a bit like this this morning. Somebody mentions the companies involved in space travel and our space needs upthread.
We didn't ever need space travel, but human curiosity got the better of us, and now with the lifestyle that we have as a species, we've made it a need.

8 months is not an unusually long stay on the ISS so while this is unscheduled it’s not out of the ordinary. They have to do 2 hours of exercise in the onboard gym every day to stop muscle wastage and osteoporosis. I posted a video above where Sunita gives a tour of the onboard facilities on one of her previous deployments there.

What I meant is that it is unusual for it to happen unplanned due to technical difficulties. I am probably wrong but dont know many such delays. At the start, a few times they have said they have almost fixed the issue then oh not yet. Then recently they have indicated this is going to be a longer "unplanned" stay.
Yes they exercise and all but effects still happen but they will not be extreme. As I said, there have been longer missions. Still I find it fascinating. Especially how mentally they deal with it. But of course they know they will be back. They speak to their families. So its like if I were to go on a work mission and it got extended. Am just in a different country with an unplanned extension. But because its space I find it a bit more interesting. Perhaps an indication of how boring my life is

🤣🤣 seriously, between this post and the Preston Premier Inn post, I haven't been this entertained on MN for years 🤣🤣

Preston Premier Inn, you say? I’ve not seen that one yet…

Here it is @HaveABlastOfThisMatrix
It's on this thread page 2 🤣

If anybody is genuinely interested in the practicalities of life in space (and wants to laugh about how flummoxed NASA was by female biology when women started going up there), I can recommend Mary Roach's very funny book Packing for Mars.

Yeah if I was them I’d be a bit nervous when it’s decided they can try flying back. I wouldn’t feel super confident and would rather ask some Russians for a lift back.

@GingerScallop I guess the closest analogy is a routine military deployment which doesn't go to plan. Many astronauts are ex-military so are used to dealing with a change of plan. Sunita for example is an ex-Navy combat and test pilot. She also holds the US record for most spacewalks by a woman.

Boeing eh?

At least the windscreen didn’t blow,out.

yes. There training for astronauts is amazing. Almost all aspects of being human and being in strange (an understatement) environment are addressed. its not just pure science but also applied etc. Its such a privilege to be an astronaut. peak privilege (and of course lots of hard work)

It's not good for your bones to be in space so long. Even with the exercise program they will have, bones still weaken and muscles lose mass. I hope they can get home soon.

"I didn't think the ISS was abandonned during Covid. The full complement of the human race has not been on earth since Nov 2000, I believe. I love that."

Nope, all humans were on earth for a period during covid @Turophilic

The clock has reset and now the last time every human was on Earth was 31 October 2020.

It's got to have been creepy going back to the ISS after covid. I mean, they'd know that it's supposed to be empty but I bet they checked all the nooks and crannies several times over, just to be sure.

Boeing should be embarrassed!

If you look art Sunita Williams profile she has been up there a long time before so I doubt whether it will be a major issue for her. Inconvenient though if she had other stuff down on Earth planned. I also guess that they may not have quite as much personal kit up there either as astronauts take up for a long stay, but maybe they sent some of that up with a resupply mission.

Don't know about the guy who is with her.

I think the major problem might be if they had to evacuate quickly. In the event of that do they have enough seats to get everyone off without using the new spacecraft. ISS is getting pretty old now and often has leaks etc and has to dodge stuff flying around at high speed.

I suppose it's a matter of balancing risk. If there's a risk of ISS depressurisation then they could safely shelter in the Starliner without necessarily having to undock until the danger had passed.

If the ISS was disintegrating then given a choice between staying on board or taking your chances of re-entering in Starliner, the latter would probably be a better bet than the former.

Erm.. I mean, I think most people would be quite terrified to be stuck in space for 8 months, leaving their family behind when they were only supposed to be gone for 8 days..

I think that's probably why most people aren't astronauts really, isn't it..?

That's why most people aren't astronauts. (That and not being physically robust enough.)

Astronauts fucking love space. I know most MNers can barely cope with an unfamiliar pillow, but surely you can imagine that astronauts do what they do because they really, really want to be up there, even though they know very well they could die.

sure they have enough for the other day, but they're there for an extra 236 days. Only kidding, but I'd love to see their letter to their bosses explaining why they're going to be really late for work...