Alcohol and spaceflight

Last updated

Alcoholic drinks are generally disallowed in spaceflight, but space agencies have previously allowed its consumption. [1] NASA has been stricter about alcohol consumption than the Roscosmos, both according to regulations and in practice. Astronauts and cosmonauts are restricted from being intoxicated at launch. Despite restrictions on consumption, there have been experiments in making and keeping alcoholic drinks in space.

Contents

Drinking in space

The effects of alcohol on human physiology in microgravity have not been researched, though because medications can differ in their effects NASA expects that the effects of alcohol will also differ. [2] Beer and other carbonated drinks are not suitable for spaceflight as the bubbles cause 'wet burps'; also, a foamy head cannot form as the bubbles do not rise. [2]

United States

On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin drank some wine when he took communion while on the Moon in the Lunar Module Eagle. The ceremony was not broadcast following earlier protests against religious activity that opponents believed to breach the separation between church and state. [3]

In the 1970s, NASA's Charles Bourland planned to send sherry with the astronauts visiting Skylab, but the idea was scrapped because the smell was found to induce a gag reflex in zero-gravity flight tests, there was ambivalence among the astronauts, and angry letters were received after plans were discussed in public by Gerry Carr. [1] [4] [5] Alcohol is prohibited aboard the International Space Station due to the impact it can have on the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS). [6]

A 1985 NASA report on extended spaceflight predicted that alcohol would be missed, but would only become common in stable settlements. [7]

Russia

The Russian state media Russia Beyond says drinking has been officially banned, but the first alcoholic drink sent into space by cosmonauts was a bottle of cognac, to the Salyut 7 in 1984. [8] Cosmonaut Igor Volk said they would lose weight and hide alcohol in their spacesuits or hide bottles inside book covers, and Georgy Grechko discussed the difficulties of drinking in space as the liquid and air would mix to form froth. [8]

Cosmonauts aboard Mir were allowed alcoholic drinks including cognac, vodka, and "ginseng liqueur", supposedly for health reasons, according to comments made by former cosmonaut Alexander Lazutkin to the Interfax news agency in 2010. [6] [1] Cosmonaut Alexander Poleshchuk said bottles of cognac would be hidden behind panels on Mir. [9] American astronauts on Mir watched while their Russian colleagues drank; NASA tried to block the release of photographs of a 1997 "cognac party" onboard Mir, but James Oberg of NBC News obtained them via a freedom of information request. [10]

In 2006, the ban on cosmonauts drinking on the International Space Station (ISS) was proposed to be lifted, though champagne was still regarded as too dangerous, as the pressurised bottle could have "unpredictable" recoil when opened, or explode while still sealed. [9] Crew care packages cannot contain any alcohol, even in aftershave or mouthwash. [4]

Pre-flight

In July 2007, following a scandal in which astronauts were alleged to have flown while drunk, NASA said that its rules around alcohol were vague and introduced a new rule prohibiting astronauts from being 'under the influence' and consuming alcohol within 12 hours of launch, based on the rules for T-38 training jets. [11] [12]

Alcohol industry

A 3D-printed plastic whisky glass was designed for spaceflight in 2015, and whisky was sent to the ISS for four years to study the effect on its flavor. [4] One beer company sponsored a graduate student's research into brewing beer in space, [2] and in 2017 another planned to sponsor research on the ISS with the aim of serving beer on Mars. [13]

Making alcohol in space would be difficult; for example conventional distillation would be impossible in zero gravity and the volumes of liquid required are high. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Astronaut</span> Commander, pilot, or crew member of a spacecraft

An astronaut is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally reserved for professional space travelers, the term is sometimes applied to anyone who travels into space, including scientists, politicians, journalists, and tourists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human spaceflight</span> Spaceflight with a crew or passengers

Human spaceflight is spaceflight with a crew or passengers aboard a spacecraft, often with the spacecraft being operated directly by the onboard human crew. Spacecraft can also be remotely operated from ground stations on Earth, or autonomously, without any direct human involvement. People trained for spaceflight are called astronauts, cosmonauts (Russian), or taikonauts (Chinese); and non-professionals are referred to as spaceflight participants or spacefarers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prohibition</span> Outlawing of alcohol

Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage, transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic beverages. The word is also used to refer to a period of time during which such bans are enforced.

<i>Mir</i> Soviet/Russian space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001

Mir was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, operated by the Soviet Union and later by Russia. Mir was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996. It had a greater mass than any previous spacecraft. At the time it was the largest artificial satellite in orbit, succeeded by the International Space Station (ISS) after Mir's orbit decayed. The station served as a microgravity research laboratory in which crews conducted experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology, and spacecraft systems with a goal of developing technologies required for permanent occupation of space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space Adventures</span> American space tourism company

Space Adventures, Inc. is an American space tourism company founded in 1998 by Eric C. Anderson. Its offerings include zero-gravity atmospheric flights, orbital spaceflights, and other spaceflight-related experiences including cosmonaut training, spacewalk training, and launch tours. Plans announced thus far include sub-orbital and lunar spaceflights, though these are not being actively pursued at present. Nine of its clients have participated in the orbital spaceflight program with Space Adventures, including one who took two separate trips to space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aleksandr Kaleri</span> Russian cosmonaut (born 1956)

Aleksandr "Sasha" Yuriyevich Kaleri is a former Russian cosmonaut and veteran of extended stays on the Mir Space Station and the International Space Station (ISS). Kaleri has most recently been in space in 2010 and 2011 aboard the ISS serving as a flight engineer for the long duration Expedition 25/26 missions. He has spent the fourth-longest time in space of any person, and the longest time in space of any person not born in what is now Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuri Gidzenko</span> Russian cosmonaut (born 1962)

Yuri Pavlovich Gidzenko is a Russian cosmonaut. He was a test cosmonaut of the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (TsPK). Gidzenko has flown into space three times and has lived on board the Mir and the International Space Station. He has also conducted two career spacewalks. Although he retired on July 15, 2001, he continued his employment by a special contract until Soyuz TM-34 concluded. Since 2004 to May 2009, Gidzenko was the Director of the 3rd department within the TsPK. Since May 2009 he serves as the Deputy Chief of Cosmonaut Training Center TsPK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yury Onufriyenko</span> Former Russian cosmonaut

Col. Yuri Ivanovich Onufrienko is a retired Russian cosmonaut. He is a veteran of two extended spaceflights, aboard the space station Mir in 1996 and aboard the International Space Station in 2001–2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gennady Padalka</span> Russian cosmonaut and the world record holder for the most time spent in space

Gennady Ivanovich Padalka is a Russian Air Force officer and a Roscosmos cosmonaut. Padalka currently holds the world record for the most time spent in space, at 879 days. He worked on both Mir and the International Space Station.

Shuttle–<i>Mir</i> program 1993–1998 collaborative Russia–US space program

The Shuttle–Mir program was a collaborative 11-mission space program between Russia and the United States that involved American Space Shuttles visiting the Russian space station Mir, Russian cosmonauts flying on the Shuttle, and an American astronaut flying aboard a Soyuz spacecraft to engage in long-duration expeditions aboard Mir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Effect of spaceflight on the human body</span> Medical issues associated with spaceflight

Venturing into the environment of space can have negative effects on the human body. Significant adverse effects of long-term weightlessness include muscle atrophy and deterioration of the skeleton. Other significant effects include a slowing of cardiovascular system functions, decreased production of red blood cells, balance disorders, eyesight disorders and changes in the immune system. Additional symptoms include fluid redistribution, loss of body mass, nasal congestion, sleep disturbance, and excess flatulence. Overall, NASA refers to the various deleterious effects of spaceflight on the human body by the acronym RIDGE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space toilet</span> Toilet used in weightless environments

A space toilet or zero-gravity toilet is a toilet that can be used in a weightless environment. In the absence of weight, the collection and retention of liquid and solid waste is directed by use of airflow. Since the air used to direct the waste is returned to the cabin, it is filtered beforehand to control odor and cleanse bacteria. In older systems, wastewater is vented into space, and any solids are compressed and stored for removal upon landing. More modern systems expose solid waste to vacuum pressures to kill bacteria, which prevents odor problems and kills pathogens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space food</span> Food consumed by astronauts in outer space

Space food is a type of food product created and processed for consumption by astronauts during missions to outer space. The food has specific requirements to provide a balanced diet and adequate nutrition for individuals working in space while being easy and safe to store, prepare and consume in the machinery-filled weightless environments of crewed spacecraft. Most space food is freeze-dried to ensure long shelf life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Marshburn</span> American physician and NASA astronaut

Thomas Henry Marshburn is an American physician and a former NASA astronaut. He is a veteran of three spaceflights to the International Space Station and holds the record for the oldest person to perform a spacewalk at 61 years old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrey Borisenko</span> Russian cosmonaut

Andrey Ivanovich Borisenko is a Russian cosmonaut. He was selected as a cosmonaut in May 2003, and is a veteran of two long duration missions to the International Space Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neutral buoyancy simulation as a training aid</span> Astronaut training in a neutral buoyancy environment

Neutral buoyancy simulation with astronauts immersed in a neutral buoyancy pool, in pressure suits, can help to prepare astronauts for the difficult task of working while outside a spacecraft in an apparently weightless environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Astronaut training</span> Preparing astronauts for space missions

Astronaut training describes the complex process of preparing astronauts in regions around the world for their space missions before, during and after the flight, which includes medical tests, physical training, extra-vehicular activity (EVA) training, procedure training, rehabilitation process, as well as training on experiments they will accomplish during their stay in space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Psychological and sociological effects of spaceflight</span>

Psychological and sociological effects of space flight are important to understanding how to successfully achieve the goals of long-duration expeditionary missions. Although robotic spacecraft have landed on Mars, plans have also been discussed for a human expedition, perhaps in the 2030s, or as early as 2024 for a return mission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ISS year-long mission</span> Research project of the health effects of being in space long term

The ISS year-long mission was an 11-month-long scientific research project aboard the International Space Station, which studied the health effects of long-term spaceflight. Astronaut Scott Kelly and cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko spent 340 days in space, with scientists performing medical experiments. Kelly and Kornienko launched on 27 March 2015 on Soyuz TMA-16M along with Gennady Padalka. The mission encompassed Expeditions 43, 44, 45 and 46. The pair safely landed in Kazakhstan on March 2, 2016, returning aboard Soyuz TMA-18M with Sergey Volkov. The mission supported the NASA Twins study, which helps shed light on the health effects of long-duration spaceflight, which is of interest for Mars missions especially.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voting in space</span> Voting whilst in space

Many people have cast votes during spaceflight. Voting from space has some inherent difficulties, as delivering paper ballots to and from a space station—as one would do for a soldier stationed overseas—would be cost prohibitive. Some astronauts vote electronically, while others communicate their voting intentions to a proxy.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Dickerson, Kelly (February 2, 2016). "A surprising amount of booze has flown into space". Business Insider.
  2. 1 2 3 Davison, Anna (July 31, 2007). "Beer in space: A short but frothy history". New Scientist.
  3. Cresswell, Matthew (September 13, 2012). "How Buzz Aldrin's communion on the moon was hushed up". The Guardian.
  4. 1 2 3 Martin, Alan (September 9, 2015). "Alcohol in space: From communion wine to zero-gravity whisky". Alphr.
  5. Twilley, Nicola (January 31, 2014). "Why Astronauts Were Banned From Drinking Wine In Outer Space". Gizmodo.
  6. 1 2 Lufkin, Bryan. "Why astronauts are banned from getting drunk in space". BBC Online. BBC. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  7. Connors, Mary M.; Harrison, Albert A.; Akins, Faren R. (1985). "Living Aloft: Human Requirements for Extended Spaceflight" (PDF). Ames Research Center. NASA. It is unlikely that alcohol as a social beverage will find its way into space, at least until relatively large and stable settlements are established. Alcohol, as a recreational drug, may be keenly missed by space travelers, since there is evidence that alcohol plays an important social role in exotic environments (p.8) ... With this level of cultural acceptance, alcohol could find its way into space when resupply arrangements are in place and when storage capacity is plentiful ... It is reasonable to assume that substitute methods of gratification will be sought, perhaps including the use of alcohol or other diverting drugs. Alternately, the self-censuring which restricts competitive interaction in confinement may also preclude the use of drugs (p. 246) ... If alcohol or drugs were to be available in space, problems associated with grief responses could be aggravated (p. 261)
  8. 1 2 Levkovich, Yevgeny (April 12, 2017). "Space smugglers: How Russian cosmonauts sneak booze into outer space". RBTH.
  9. 1 2 Saradzhyan, Simon (January 15, 2006). "Russia lets cosmonauts drink - but they musn't go into orbit". The Telegraph.
  10. Boyle, Alan (October 14, 2010). "Alcohol in space? Da!". NBC News.
  11. Schwartz, John (July 29, 2007). "The Astronaut's Drinking Rules". New York Times.
  12. O’Connor, Bryan (August 28, 2007). "Space Flight Safety Review (Alcohol Use In The Preflight Period)" (PDF). NASA Office of Safety and Mission Assurance. NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC.
  13. 1 2 Stockton, Nick (March 22, 2017). "What's the point of going to space if you don't make booze?". Wired.

Further reading