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Tim Peake: How Life Will Change For The British Astronaut Once Aboard The ISS

5 Reasons Why Tim Peake's Space Adventure Won't Give You FOMO
Nitya Rajan
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Tim Peake has begun final preparations for his voyage to the International Space Station.

The British astronaut will blast off tomorrow at 11:03am (GMT) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan - the Soyuz rocket has already arrived at its launch site, dubbed Site No 1.

Speaking to BBC News, he said the thing he was looking forward to most was the view of the Earth.

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He said: "I don't think anything can really prepare you for that moment."

If you've had any fascination with space, that statement alone is enough to incur a serious case of FOMO.

Before you go down that dark tunnel of envy however, there are a few things you should remember about life in space.

Aboard the ISS
Drinking your urine and sweat (01 of05)
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In 2008, NASA unveiled a "two refrigerator-sized racks packed with a distiller and an assortment of filters designed to process astronauts’ urine and sweat into clean drinking water." The system can recycle about 93 percent of the water it receives.
You have poop into a vacuum (02 of05)
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Doing your number two duties aboard the International Space Station is simply a question of good aim. Astronauts have to use a small white throne with a hole that sucks up all your waste. Attached is a plastic bag that catches all the necessaries and according to Samantha Cristoforetti, it's good etiquette to replace the bag with a fresh one, once you are done.
Exercise is NOT an option(03 of05)
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Exercise is an absolute must for ISS astronauts, in order to prevent bone and muscle loss. On Earth, we use our body and legs to carry our weight which keeps them in use and strong. While in space, this does not happen to the same extent (obviously) so on average, astronauts exercise for two hours a day. Not one to settle for being average, Peake will also be running a marathon - completing the entire 42 km distance on a treadmill.
Sleeping strapped in(04 of05)
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At the end of a long day, astronauts can't simply pick a spot to crash. Microgravity causes them to feel weightlessness and therefore, they need to be strapped in while they catch some zzzs.
Experiencing the worst hangover ever(05 of05)
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Space sickness is experienced by most astronauts. In 2013, Chris Hadfield showed the world a special 'astronaut barf bag' that stops the sick from going everywhere. In a video he said: "When we first get to space, we feel sick. Your body is really confused. You're dizzy. Your lunch is floating around in your belly because you're floating. What you see doesn't match what you feel, and you want to throw up."

While all of the above should alleviate FOMO, when tomorrow comes and Peake blasts off, we're pretty certain we will still feel a little pin prick of jealousy. Who doesn't want to spend Christmas in space?

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