Astronaut reveals the painful truth about what it’s really like to spend six months in space

An astronaut who spent six months living onboard the International Space Station has revealed what it’s actually like to live in space and to put it shortly, it doesn’t sound pretty.

When kids are asked what they want to be when they grow up, firemen, teachers and ballerinas are all common answers.

But, the most popular choice is obviously an astronaut.

After all, what’s cooler than blasting off hundreds of thousands of miles in a giant spaceship and discovering everything space has to offer?

They might change their minds, however, after hearing the painful truth of what it’s actually like being up there.

Catherine Coleman – also known as Cady – is a chemist, engineer and former NASA astronaut who, in 2010, spent six months on the International Space Station.

In her book, Sharing Space, she reveals just how painful the process of doing a spacewalk – any activity done in outer space outside the spacecraft – is.

During a spacewalk or EVA (extravehicular activity), an astronaut is completely reliant on a spacesuit for environmental support.

But, these bulky, unisex suits aren’t exactly comfortable, an issue made worse by the fact NASA decided to eliminate the smallest size back in 2003.

“To be clear, at five four, I’m not dramatically small, and my arms are short only in comparison to those of male astronauts,” Coleman said.

“But I had little choice other than to adapt to the equipment that was available – and like so many things, even in that day and age, the equipment was basically designed to accommodate men.

“One-size-fits-all typically meant one-size-fits-all-the-dudes.”

And getting into a spacesuit is a pretty lengthy process, requiring help from a team of suit techs.

First comes the adult diaper. Yes, really.

Then comes a standard-issue sports bra and long underwear, which absorbs sweat and gives astronauts and extra layer of cushioning.

Next comes a critical piece of equipment – the LCVG or Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment, which features tubes of water woven through the fabric.

“When you’re gliding around inside 300 pounds of spacesuit, your body heats up quickly, and your LCVG lets you regulate your body temperature,” Coleman explained.

This is followed by extreme amounts of padding around the elbows, knees, hips and crotch, and a girdle to keep it all in place.

Only then can astronauts put on the actual spacesuit.

The techs attach the spacesuit top and spacesuit bottom once on the body and add a communications cap, gloves and the all important helmet.

“If my nose itches during the next six hours, that’s too bad. I am now sealed off from the outside world,” she joked.

Coleman said she doesn’t ‘notice the discomfort’ when she’s working because she’s ‘focussed intently on the task at hand’.

It’s only until she takes if off at the end of a session that she sees the damage.

“I’m always surprised to see myself in the mirror,” she said. “My arms and legs are covered with red and purple bruises and abrasions. Sometimes I’m bleeding from where the suit and I battled to get into an especially tricky position.

“My fingers are raw from being mashed inside the gloves, and the nail beds are often bruised, occasionally leading to the loss of a nail. I’ve been so focused on the task at hand that I didn’t even notice until now.

“I crush my arms and torso against the sides and armholes whenever I try to reach things. Even with the padding, I’m a mess when I take it off.”

With that, we’ll be crossing ‘become an astronaut’ off our list of pipe dreams…