Even simple routine tasks challenge when everything floats weightlessly about. The crew must exercise every day, because in
the absence of gravity, muscles, bones and hearts weaken if not kept active. Space scientists have developed special exercise
apparatus, including an exercise cycle, a treadmill and a “weight-lifting” apparatus based on resistance, not weights. These
special apparatus are so efficient that they now are being copied for use in exercise centres on Earth.
Washing clothes is another difficult chore in space. The space station crew members change clothes only every tenth day and
stockings and underwear every other day. But clothes soil slowly, as they always wear their spacesuits when "outdoors".
The crew members can neither bathe nor shower. They wash with wet and dry towels. They sleep tethered to their beds so they
don’t float away when asleep. They go to the lavatory on a vacuum toilet with strong suction – unpleasant, but the alternatives
are even less pleasant in the weightlessness of space.
Living on the space station
It’s not easy to live on the space station. Daily activities - washing, eating or using the lavatory - are demanding tasks in a weightless environment.
