Original publication date: Nov. 17, 1995
Astronaut Chris Hadfield doesn’t paint a pretty picture of life in space – intestines floating around in his body, freeze-dried food velcroed to the wall and toilets equipped with huge fans.
Bodily functions aside, the 36-year-old former fighter pilot is anxious to do it all over again. ”I just had the smallest little appetizer,” Hadfield said Friday during his first public speaking tour since returning from last month’s mission aboard space shuttle Atlantis. ”Eight days is not long after 30 years of anticipation.”
He hopes to become a ”resident” of space when dreams of an international space station are scheduled to become reality in 2002.
Hadfield and American astronaut James Halsell were greeted with praise and loud applause by about 300 people at Spar Aerospace in suburban Brampton – home of the Canadarm robotic arm used on the shuttle mission. ”We were so excited to have a Canadian astronaut t operate, for the first time, our Canadian arm,” said Sam Higson, deputy program manager at Spar Aerospace. ”There’s very real pride from the support team.”
Hadfield used the Canadarm to position a docking tunnel, deftly lifting it from Atlantis’ cargo bay and placing it within centimetres of a docking ring to allow the shuttle to link up with Russian space station Mir.
But science students at Toronto’s Marc Garneau Collegiate weren’t interested in technological marvels. ”How did you use the bathroom?” one asked. ”Hmmm,” said Hadfield, pausing before e explaining that because there’s no gravity to assist the flushing process in orbit, astronauts use airflow. ”When you sit down on n the toilet there is a big fan that pulls air (and wastes) into the toilet.” ”Did you get space sick?” asked another student.
Not sick, Hadfield replied, but it took days to adjust to life without gravity. ”My intestines are floating around my body. If f you close your eyes, it feels like you are falling forever . . . If you burp, water and stuff comes up, not just gas.”
He said keeping clean was one of the biggest challenges. ”You can’t take a shower because the water just sticks to your body . . The only way you can get clean is with this no-rinse soapy stuff.”
Cooking wasn’t easy either. The astronauts took turns preparing meals, adding water to packages of frozen food, cooking it in their tiny oven and sticking packs to the wall with velcro.
The Atlantis team also treated the Russians – who will be living in the Mir space station for six months – to a feast of shrimp cocktails, steak and ice cream.
But Hadfield said any hardships were quickly forgotten whenever he looked out the window to catch views of Africa, Australia, and Canada as he zoomed around the planet every 90 minutes.
He said his greatest thanks comes from young people who inspiration in his accomplishment. ”When I was nine year old . . . people e laughed at me. No Canadian ever dreamed of being an astronaut,” he said. ”Now there are seven.”
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