Astronaut tests 'flying carpet' in space

Not quite the magic carpet ride I expected, but still sounds like a whole lot of fun:

Standing on a white sheet, Koichi Wakata was gliding smoothly through a cabin of the International Space Station, as if snowboarding, in a video clip posted online by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). "I flew on this magic carpet by using adhesive tape so that the soles of my feet stayed on it," the 45-year-old revealed, speaking into a microphone during what appeared at times like a variety show.

The Japanese get to do all the fun stuff!

Tackling another challenge, Wakata showed how to use eye drops in zero gravity, squeezing out a tiny ball of liquid and letting it perch at the tip of the container before carefully bringing it to his eye. Wakata also handled the awkward task of folding laundry in zero gravity, struggling with a shirt and then, for added difficulty, the floating arms and legs of a blue space overall.

Link

Good to see everyones hard earned dollars going into such ground breaking research! And here I was feeling all cynical about the ISS. I can now see that going to Mars would be a waste of money in comparison eh!

IRM

Well someone's got to tackle it first right? Image hundreds of people going into space for the first time giggling and snickering when they have their first meal.

Oh the mental images are just great.

Man just think how hard it will be to mine on an asteroid, with your booty flying away from you every time you try to get some rocks...

reply to post by Tentickles


I was actually thinking of the more basic human instinct ... procreation.

Seriously - how would our own spermatozoa and the female ovaries react in zero gravity. Would impregnation be more difficult or easier?

Surely one day we expect to have colonies or even colony ships travelling long distances? And, would the first colony ship be called the Christopher Columbus? *sigh* It's inevitable.

reply to post by deltaalphanovember


From memory, they believe that it would completely disrupt the menstruation cycle.. especially on something like a Mars mission where the female is no longer effected by the influences of the moon.

IRM

reply to post by deltaalphanovember


I think . . . err . . . woman on top would help facilitate procreation in zero-g.

It would be interesting though.


I wonder who will do the first adult film shot in space?