Today, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield passed command of the International Space Station to cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov. Hadfield’s command has been so much fun, because he not only plays guitar and tweets prolifically; he also gamely answers almost any kind of question in a series of space FYI videos.
Lots of things are different in space, and after 50 years of the space program, we take some of them for granted. Hadfield expertly reminds us why living in space is an amazing thing.
Surely you have seen his rendition of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” — if not, you must watch it immediately. But Hadfield has produced other classics, so we decided to round up some favorites here. Below, learn how astronauts throw up; how they wash their hands in space; how they cry; what happens when they wring out a washcloth; and why they love space tortillas, among many other weird and awesome facts.
How to wash your hands in space
How to deal with space sickness
“This bag has to stay with me in space for months, so we want a really good barf bag.”
There’s no crying in space.
What happens when you wring out a washcloth?
“We may have the coolest washcloths ever.”
How to make a tasty sandwich
Astronauts can’t have bread.
How do you brush your teeth?
Toothbrushes can fix space stations and keep astronauts’ teeth shiny…but how do you clean the brushes?