Clapway: Gennady Padalka

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

"Being alone in space takes peace and quiet to a whole different level, I would suspect." - http://clapway.com/2015/07/01/3-things-you-could-accomplish-if-you-were-in-space-for-803-days/

A new record was set for the most time spent in space by a human being. Russian cosmonaut, Gennady Padalka, has spent a total of 803 days in space. Padalka is currently on his fifth trip into space and once he returns, on September 11, he will have spent 877 days in space.

During his time in outer space, he conducted experiments and went on numerous space walks. His days spent in space were not consecutive but envision what you could do in solitude for two years and four months, uninterrupted. Here are three things you could accomplish if you were in space for 803 days:

1. Practice Eccentric Skills

You will have so much free time to practice cool things you wouldn’t be able to do with the force of gravity surrounding you. You can become a Mortal Kombat character and work on your bicycle kicks. You can move on from your kiddie cartwheels and progress to full on back flips. And if you are one of those disgusting people that want to try to catching their spit in their mouth, you can do that too. But I don’t recommend it.

2. Catch Up On Your Reading

I don’t know about you, but I love reading. I’ve spent entire weekends doing nothing but drowning myself in a good book. Recently, I’ve been too busy to sit and read, or do anything fun, so I would jump at the chance to catch up on my favorite romance novel. You could teach yourself a new language and come back to earth more intelligent than you left. If I were in space for 803 days, reading would definitely be at the top of my list.

3. Self-Reflection

Being alone in space takes peace and quiet to a whole different level, I would suspect. The time you have secluded, without distractions can be used for self-reflection. You can learn new things about yourself and appreciate the characteristics you considered flaws. A lot of people don’t get the chance to reflect but with your time in space, you have a ton of chances.

In reality, you may never get the chance for complete isolation but you should definitely take a step back from the world. Continue to develop your skills and learn something new everyday. And when you think you’ve run out of things to learn, just think, what could I accomplish if I were in space for 803 days?

Definitely bring a notebook with you on this long, isolated journey. Moleskine has one for this very occasion:

3 Things You Could Accomplish If You Were in Space For 803 Days

Thursday, June 11, 2015

After Delays, Three Astronauts Finally Return From ISS - http://clapway.com/2015/06/11/after-delays-three-astronauts-finally-return-from-issafter-a-prolonged-stay-of-over-6-months-at-the-international-space-station-three-astronauts-american-terry-virts-esas-samantha-crisoto-987/

After a prolonged stay of over 6 months at the International Space Station, three astronauts- American Terry Virts, ESA’s Samantha Crisotoforetti, and Roscosmos’ Anton Shkaplerov landed in a Soyuz TMA-15M capsule in Kazakhstan at 13:44 UTC. The three crew members first reached ISS on the 24^th of November, 2014, which means that they spent a whole 199 days in space. Once they touched down, teams were on hand in minutes to help them out.

Delays of over a month plagued the three crew members.

The three astronauts were meant to stay on ISS for less time, but their departure was delayed for roughly a month. The delay was blamed on the Russian investigation of a Progress M-27M cargo ship that had been struck. Roscosmos finished its investigation and went back to spaceflight on June 5^th, with a military payload.

Completion of mission marked a few space milestones.

The return from the mission marked the longest space mission for a female astronaut and longest uninterrupted spaceflight for an ESA member. The previous longest ESA astronaut space mission was 193 days. Both of the honors went to astronaut Samantha Crisotoforetti, who also holds records for most spacewalks and longest cumulative spacewalk time (50 hours and 40 minutes). The mission also marked the second time in space for both Terry Virts and Anton Shkapelrov, who are now a third of the way into their yearlong stay in space. During their stay, a ot of research was conducted on genetics and biology. Several generations of ants, fruit flies, plants, and worms needed for several studies from around the world were kept and grew on board.

Two astronauts are still on ISS, with three more soon to join.

Don’t worry, ISS has not been left unmanned. Commander Gennady Padalka and cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko of Roscosmos, as well as astronaut Scott Kelly of NASA, will remain on board, with veteran Padalka taking control. The three will serve as the welcoming party for three more astronauts slated to board the space station: Kimya Yui of JAXA, the Japanese Exploration Agency, Kjell Lindgren of NASA, and Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos.

If you want to get your kids interested in space, try the Space Scouts Summer Adventure

After Delays, Three Astronauts Finally Return From ISS