What You Always Wanted to Know About Outer Space but Were Afraid to Ask
Ansari may not have started out with the intention of writing a traveler’s guide to space, but she sure has the ingredients to write one. (If you want to collaborate after your return from space, Ms. Ansari, I’m not too far away to work with you on this!) In a series of events that would later inspire young girls and starry-eyed adults from around the world, Ansari took charge of her dreams. She was born in 1966 in Mashhad, Iran and she emigrated to the U.S. in 1984. Ansari couldn’t speak English upon her arrival, yet within a few years she had not only learned the language but had earned a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering and then a Master’s degree! With family members, Ansari founded a telecom company in 1993 and went on to develop that company and then sell it. This made Ansari wealthy enough to generously contribute funds to a variety of organizations and to still fuel her own dreams of hitching a ride into space.
This passionate individual joined the crew of the Soyuz TMA-9 craft that launched from Kazakhstan on September 18, 2006 and carried Ansari to the ISS along with NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin. Ansari said by “reaching this dream I’ve had since childhood, I hope to tangibly demonstrate to young people all over the world that there is no limit to what they can accomplish.” 1
Ansari uses her blog to tell people about her excitement and anticipation in the days prior to launch, the rigors of cosmonaut training, and the difficulties of physically adjusting to flight into orbit. Though there was little coverage in primary media, NASA TV made a live broadcast of the flight available online and anyone with internet access could watch the event. A little stuffed bear dangled from the control panel which reminded me of something that hung from my rearview mirror in my first car. The stuffed animal is a tradition on the Russian flights, and when the bear floats, you know you they in Zero-G. Individuals in communication with Ansari filled in for her on the blog during the trip to the Space Station, and they reported that she had to recovery from a touch of space motion sickness but otherwise the flight went well and docking was a great success.
From the ISS, Ansari wrote about keeping good hygiene in space. Did you know that in space, you can’t really spit out your toothpaste? This results in some icky improvisation on the toothbrush experience. Can you imagine taking a puddle of floating water and trying to create a bubble over your head so you can wash up with it? Luckily, Ansari will have video for those of us who cannot quite imagine this. And, just what happens to that all that floaty water? You know, we aren’t just talking about the water that is used to bathe and such, but the water that comes right off of our bodies as sweat or tears. That stuff has to go somewhere! Well, in the nicely enclosed environment of a space station, it all gets sucked into a device that recycles it and gives it right back to the inhabitants for use. Hmmm, nice…
If the tidbits I’ve given you don’t satisfy curiosity, Ansari’s blog is well worth reading for science buffs and people like me who just enjoy reading quirky stuff. You can look at pictures of flying honey bear bottles and fruit and take delight in the smiling face of a woman who has achieved something remarkable. She goes on to tell all about the “Spiderman” effects of weightlessness and how much fun it is to catch yogurt balls with your spoon. Ansari’s sense of humor reminds me more of a Douglas Adams space tale than the stuffy droning of typical documentary. I am one writer who’s amazed by this neat lady who isn’t afraid to share, and I send my heartfelt wishes for a great and safe time on the remainder of her trip. Thanks to Anousheh Ansari for telling us everything we ever wanted to know about spaceflight!
1. http://www.anoushehansari.com/, noted September 28, 2006.
