We all measure our experience in space-time differently. That’s because space-time isn’t flat — it’s curved, and it can be warped by matter and energy. And for astronauts on the International Space Station, that means they get to age just a tiny bit slower than people on Earth. That’s because of time-dilation effects.

In the microgravity environment of space, astronauts lose on average 1% to 2% of their bone mineral density every month. For a short-duration flight, bone loss is a fairly minor consequence.

In microgravity, bones do not bear the loads of body weight, so the production of osteoblasts decreases. That results in an imbalance between the formation of new bone cells and the removal of old bone cells. More cells are removed than produced, so bone density decreases.

Astronauts experience spaceflight osteopenia when they are in space. This condition can cause astronauts to lose bone mass in their legs, hips, and spines. Once the astronauts return to Earth, it can take three or four years for those bones to recover!

Astronauts enjoy meals in the International Space Station. Astronauts take bisphosphonate once a week to prevent bone loss in space.

This condition can cause astronauts to lose, on average, one to two percent of their bone mass every month. This bone loss typically happens in the legs, hips, and spines of astronauts. Once astronauts return to Earth, it can take three or four years for those bones to recover!

Astronauts quickly lose weight in space and return to Earth a little slimmer than when they left, scientists said Thursday in releasing findings from NASA’s most elaborate medical research mission. The weight loss is one of a number of rapid body changes observed during the flight.

Long-duration spaceflight saps astronauts’ exercise capacity by 30 to 50 percent, a recent study suggests.

It’s a process called atrophy. Studies have shown that astronauts experience up to a 20 percent loss of muscle mass on spaceflights lasting five to 11 days. Astronauts on the International Space Station spend 2 1/2 hours per day exercising to combat the effects of muscle atrophy.

In space, astronauts lose fluid volume—including up to 22% of their blood volume. Because it has less blood to pump, the heart will atrophy. “Under the effects of the earth’s gravity, blood and other body fluids are pulled towards the lower body.

1) You get weaker Skeletal muscles have the ability to adapt to different purposes and the different loads placed on them, a quality known as plasticity. But like inactivity, space flight leads to loss of both skeletal muscle mass (atrophy) and strength.

A total of 18 people have lost their lives either while in space or in preparation for a space mission, in four separate incidents. All seven crew members died, including Christa McAuliffe, a teacher from New Hampshire selected on a special NASA programme to bring civilians into space. …

E.g. US military pilots / astronauts don’t receive Danger Pay unless they work at posts where they’re in imminent danger or under threat of physical harm due to civil insurrection, terrorism, or war conditions.

A: The ISS missions, called expeditions, usually last about six months. There are three to six crewmembers on board at all times. Professional astronaut crews come from the U.S., Russia, Japan, Canada and Europe. NASA astronaut Mike Lopez-Alegria has flown the longest U.S. space station mission to date, at 215 days.

They had duties while they were on the ground as well as when they were flying. And they could continue to work for NASA even when they had flown their last mission, doing engineering work, training other astronauts, and administrative tasks. So they get paid for that.

Michael Richard Uram “Rich” Clifford (born October 13, 1952), is a former United States Army officer and NASA astronaut….

GS-11 astronauts average starting salary: $66,026 per year. GS-14 astronauts can earn up to $144,566 per year.

The astronauts wipe their body clean by using a wet towel, and wash their hair by using waterless shampoo. Since water does not flow in a zero-gravity environment, the astronauts cannot wash their hands under a faucet as you do on Earth. So, there are no sinks or showers inside the space shuttle.

An astronaut’s primary job while on the space station is to conduct scientific experiments and maintain the space station. When not working, astronauts do a lot of the same things we do on Earth. Astronauts also complete a two-hour daily exercise program to remain fit.

Because they can’t simply drop their space suit and go, astronauts typically use a superabsorbent adult diaper. Astronauts use adult diapers during take-offs and landings as well. After the spacewalk, the astronauts remove the diapers and dispose of them in a storage area in the craft.