Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Astronomy Picture of the Day


Could you do this? --->











Not me... not in a million years, no matter how amazing and important it is. My body would not allow it.

I know this, because in my environmental consulting days, part of our hazardous materials training involved getting suited up in "level A" protection. Every part of your body is covered in a suit, and any zippers or seams are sealed with duct tape. Your face is covered with a mask, and the suit hood is duct taped to it. You breathe with an air tank and a respirator (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus -- add Underwater for SCUBA).

I couldn't hack it. I can't remember at what point I started to flip out... I think I made it through the duct tape and the mask, but the respirator was too much, and I panicked.

Subtract earth underfoot, add the endless yawning void of outer space, and... well, no. Just no.

But damn, how cool is it that some people CAN do it... that's Hans Schlegel up there, installing a laboratory on the space station... and that this kind of work is being done.

Awesome.

5 comments:

  1. I am blog rolling you sister gal, this is a wonderful blog, and we share a common word in our title..and you seem to have the urge to "note" stuff as do i. Sounds like you have a wonderful family and when cool people raise children my heart is so filled with hope. A few more potential thoughtful beautiful adults in the hopper..and Astonomy , geology is just plain cooliO in my book.

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  2. I am blog rolling you sister gal, this is a wonderful blog, and we share a common word in our title..and you seem to have the urge to "note" stuff as do i. Sounds like you have a wonderful family and when cool people raise children my heart is so filled with hope. A few more potential thoughtful beautiful adults in the hopper..and Astonomy , geology is just plain cooliO in my book.

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  3. I'm also amazed and grateful that there are people who can do that. My claustrophobia would never let me get in the suit, much less go into space in a tiny little spacecraft. No sirree!

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  4. I think that about almost everything - it's a good thing there are people who want to do the amazing and/or useful stuff in this world, because I can't imagine it.

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  5. It is pretty cool. But yeah, I couldn't do it. I can't even stand a mud bath at the spa. "Put ze hands unter ze mud!" hollered the scary spa attendant. But no, I couldn't. And jesus, lady, don't cover my eyes with cucumber slices. I like the puffy. I just want to see, ok? Take yourself over there, Helga, and leave me and my phobias alone.

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