Thursday April 30, 2015
On March 27th, NASA Commander Scott Kelly and Russian Cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko voyaged to space.
They flew to the International Space Station, the ISS, where they will be spending a full year away from Earth. That’s 365 days – 366 if there are leap years in space!
In THE NERDY DOZEN 2: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE NERD KIND, Neil Andertol and his video game-loving friends visit the ISS on a top-secret mission.
Commander Kelly’s mission, however, will be a record-setting trip for an American astronaut.
As it’s a pretty long time away from home, I’m sure the astronauts had some trouble deciding what to pack for the trip.
I can relate – I have difficulty packing for a week-long vacation.
So to help, I figured I would make my own packing list. Maybe we can send a special rocket with any items the astronauts might have forgotten.
So, here are some items that I know these astronauts will need.
Again this is advice from Jeff Miller, author/person with no space experience, who gets nosebleeds at high altitudes, and received a ‘C-’ grade in physics class.
- Clean undies. I imagine lines could be long at space Laundromats, so you’ll want to have enough clean drawers for a few weeks.
- A camera. With multiple sunrises and sunsets a day, there will be tons of opportunities for great shots. Earth probably looks better with an Instagram filter, too.
- A ton of Velcro. Without gravity, you’ll want to make sure things stay where you leave them. I’ve been doing this with my coffee mugs here on Earth and can report it’s been a roaring success.
- Space toothbrush. You can’t let a lack of gravity stop you from dental hygiene – just keep a safe distance from others while space flossing.
- A friend’s Netflix password. While I’m sure there will be lots of time spent on scientific research, you can never forget to unwind. Hopefully someone at mission control has Hulu Plus, too.
- Lastly, a good book. You’ll have plenty of free time, for sure.
Might I suggest purchasing a copy of THE NERDY DOZEN 2: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE NERD KIND. The perfect novel for both young readers and space-dwelling astronauts alike.
And that’s it!
I’m looking forward to watching this experiment unfold, and seeing an American make history.
What would you pack for a year in space? Find me on Twitter @jeffmillerbooks to send me your packing list!