A Bit of Privacy in Space
June 18, 2008
Europe developed its unmanned cargo ship to send fuel and supplies to the International Space Station. But it’s turned out the vessel has another purpose as well. For the past few weeks, it’s been serving as a washroom and spare bedroom for the live-aboard crew.
The first Automated Transfer Vehicle, called Jules Verne, arrived at the station in April with supplies and fuel for the orbital outpost. Within a few weeks, flight controllers got an unexpected request from the crew, who wanted to wash up and sleep in the ATV.
Instead of using the usual “Crew Hygiene Station,” located in the Russian Zvezda service module -- the main living quarters for the ISS -- crewmembers are using the ATV for sponge baths (there’s no shower in space) and rinse-free shampoos.
“The ATV's pressurized cabin offers the crew a large space (and) a lot of privacy,” noted Hervé Côme, the ATV mission director in Toulouse, France.
The makeshift washroom also helps lower the station’s humidity levels, he added.
It’s also apparently quieter than other parts of the station, making it a cozy nook to hang a sleeping bag for the night. The station has just two built-in crew cabins, leaving one man out when it comes time to bunk down.
The ATV is a temporary shelter, however. Once its fuel tanks are drained later this summer, the Jules Verne is expected to be detached from the station and removed from orbit, paving the way for an eventual replacement. It’ll provide one last service as it plunges through the atmosphere: carry the crew’s trash.
I love the ESA's trippy music in that video :)
Posted by: Dave Mosher | June 18, 2008 at 09:51 AM