Aboard the International Space Station, it is business as usual

[Shawn Knight]

What just happened? Covid-19 is disrupting daily life as we know it on Earth, but just above our home planet aboard the International Space Station, the show must go on. NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and two Russian cosmonauts, Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner, docked on the space station on Thursday following a six-hour flight that originated from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

This launch was a bit different than previous efforts due to Covid-19. Travel restrictions prevented friends and family of the crew from being in attendance at the launch. A ban on media kept others at bay, resulting in a very quiet affair. An extended quarantine period was also enacted to help ensure that the Coronavirus and any other bugs stay out of the ISS.

For nearly 20 years, humans have continuously lived and worked aboard the International Space Station. The global effort has seen 239 people from 19 countries visit the ISS over the years, collectively conducting more than 2,800 research investigations courtesy of scientists from 108 countries.

The fresh crew members will be taking over for NASA flight engineers Andrew Morgan and Jessica Meir and Expedition 62 Commander Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos, all scheduled to return to Earth on April 17 aboard the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft.

Cassidy, Ivanishin and Vagner will remain on the space station for more than six months, conducting around 160 science investigations across fields like physical sciences, technology development, human research, biology and Earth science. The tentative plan is for them to return home in October.

Masthead credit: Dima Zel

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https://www.techspot.com/news/84786-aboard-international-space-station-business-usual.html

 

[Vulcanproject]

Well if you're on either the ISS or a patrolling nuclear submarine you can forget about the land lubbers and their troubles for a few months and enjoy the ride

 

[stewi0001]

Well if you're on either the ISS or a patrolling nuclear submarine you can forget about the land lubbers and their troubles for a few months and enjoy the ride

While your supplies last

 

[Vulcanproject]

While your supplies last

Typical SSBN patrol length is at least two months. Three months are becoming more common. Over four months due to an unplanned extension have been done quite recently.

Most SSBNs that leave port even for a scheduled patrol seem to have the ability to stay on station for the better part of six months if deemed necessary. Before you need to go back to collect the burgers and beer.

Assuming you're on a British or French submarine of course, and not on the dismally dry U.S Navy ones.....

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Typical SSBN patrol length is at least two months. Three months are becoming more common. Over four months due to an unplanned extension have been done quite recently.

Most SSBNs that leave port even for a scheduled patrol seem to have the ability to stay on station for the better part of six months if deemed necessary. Before you need to go back to collect the burgers and beer.

Assuming you're on a British or French submarine of course, and not on the dismally dry U.S Navy ones.....

Not like the Navy has to worry about Covid19 - right?

 

[Uncle Al]

You just got to hope any re-supply stuff wasn't packed by an infected person!

 

[mbrowne5061]

Typical SSBN patrol length is at least two months. Three months are becoming more common. Over four months due to an unplanned extension have been done quite recently.

Most SSBNs that leave port even for a scheduled patrol seem to have the ability to stay on station for the better part of six months if deemed necessary. Before you need to go back to collect the burgers and beer.

Assuming you're on a British or French submarine of course, and not on the dismally dry U.S Navy ones.....

I'm now picturing British or French subs deliberately crushing beer cans and pouring champagne whenever they know a US sub is nearby and listening.

 

[Vulcanproject]

I'm now picturing British or French subs deliberately crushing beer cans and pouring champagne whenever they know a US sub is nearby and listening.

During the cold war many NATO vessels were followed by Soviet spy boats, masquerading as fishing vessels and the like. Extremely common and easy to spot, not too many fishing vessels of the day had enormous communication masts and dishes! Of course following subs was near impossible but capital surface ships had their shadows. My father served on one. Back then ship's garbage was thrown overboard in containers, that remained afloat for some time. They were always picked up by the spy vessels before they sunk. In full view. Everyone knew what they were doing.

Of course anything important was shredded into smithereens and the rest was domestic crap, but it was pretty usual for them to leave fresh cans of coke, full chocolate bars, cigarettes or the classic girly magazines sat on the very top of the waste. A peace offering of sorts, or even just a bit of ideological warfare knowing the crews of the boats didn't have anything like such luxuries.