Wine on the Moon … Whiskey on the space station … Reading books for children about space pirates, rangers and other daredevils as a child, I never thought that drinking in space is not allowed. Indeed, space travel has a long and complicated relationship with drinking. Going thousands of kilometers from Earth into the gray abyss of uncertainty is not so easy. Scary. Heavy. Why don't astronauts relax at the end of the day with a drink or two?
Alas, for space lovers and to wet their lips strong, the consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited by government agencies that send astronauts, for example, to the International Space Station. But soon an ordinary person will also be able to go to the last frontier - for example, to colonize Mars. Obviously, booze should be allowed for such a long and painful one-way trip that would stretch for years? Or at least equipment for self-made alcohol on the planet?
Booze and outer space have a long and complicated relationship. Let's take a look at what can happen to a regular drinker but an astronaut, and what can happen if we start sending regular drinkers into space.
It is widely believed that at high altitude you feel dizzy and get nauseous faster. Thus, it would be logical to assume that alcohol in orbit will have very strong effects on the human body. But this is not entirely true.
This myth was debunked back in the 1980s. In 1985, the US Federal Aviation Administration conducted a study that examined the behavior of people who drank alcohol at simulated altitudes while performing complex tasks and measuring a breathalyzer.
In the study, 17 men were asked to drink some vodka at ground level and in a chamber simulating an altitude of 3.7 kilometers. They were then asked to perform a series of tasks, including mental calculations, tracking light on an oscilloscope with a joystick, and others. The researchers concluded that "neither the breathalyser nor the performance score showed any interactive effect of alcohol and altitude."
So it's a myth that you get drunk faster while flying? Dave Hanson, emeritus professor of sociology at State University of New York at Potsdam, who has researched and drank alcohol for 40 years, thinks so. "I can't imagine getting drunk any differently in space," he says.
Promotional video:
However, he also thinks that altitude sickness can mimic a hangover, as well as simulate intoxication. "If people do not feel adequately under pressure, they may feel the same way when drunk." Conversely, people who claim to get drunk faster than usual on the plane may simply exhibit special behavior. Such people exhibit drunken behavior more strongly when they think they are drunk, and not because they have actually consumed alcohol.
“If people are on an airplane and think that for some reason alcohol will have an unusual effect on them, they will think it has an unusual effect on them,” Hanson says.
So, if there is no additional effect, you can sip a little strong on board the ISS? No you can not.
"Alcohol is prohibited aboard the International Space Station," said Daniel Huot, a spokesman for the Space Center. Johnson. "The use of alcohol and other volatiles is being monitored on the ISS because of the impact that these components can have on the station's water recovery system."
For this reason, astronauts on the space station do not even get products that contain alcohol, such as mouthwash, perfume, and shaving lotions. Spilled beer on board can also pose a serious risk of equipment damage.
There is also a question of responsibility. We don't allow jet fighter drivers or pilots to get drunk and get behind the wheel, so it's no surprise that the same rules apply to astronauts inside a $ 150 billion space station floating around the Earth at gigantic speed.
However, in 2007, an independent group created by NASA studied the health of astronauts and concluded that there were at least two astronauts in the agency's history who drank large amounts of alcohol just before the flight, but who were still allowed to fly. A subsequent review by NASA's head of security found no evidence to substantiate the claims. Astronauts are strictly prohibited from drinking in the 12 hours before the flight, as they are required to be fully present in mind and body.
The reason for these rules is clear. In the same 1985 FAA study on the effects of alcohol at altitude, scientists concluded that every milligram counts. Regardless of the height at which the subjects drank, the indicators of the breathalyzer were the same. Their performance also suffered equally, but those who took the placebo at the altitude performed worse than those who took the placebo at the sushi level. This suggests that height, regardless of alcohol consumption, may have little effect on mental performance. The study concludes that this serves as an excuse to further restrict alcohol consumption at altitude.
There is another reason to avoid frothy drinks like beer - without the aid of gravity, liquids and gases accumulate in the astronaut's stomach, leading to unpleasant effects.
However, despite strict regulations, this does not mean that humans in space will never come into contact with fermented liquids. There have been many experiments onboard the ISS involving alcohol, but not excessive drinking, so no one really knows exactly how the human body will react.
“We are studying all possible processes of changing the bodies of astronauts in space, including at the microbial level,” says Stephanie Schirholz, a spokesman for NASA. "And we have a very robust nutritional program to ensure that astronauts' bodies are getting what they need to stay healthy."
As part of the Skylab program, the astronauts were given sherry with them, but it did not perform well in flights in microgravity.
And the most surprising thing is that the first liquid that was drunk on the surface of the moon was wine. Buzz Aldrin said in an interview that he drank some wine while taking communion before leaving the lunar module in 1969. The ceremony took place during a pause in communication mode, so it was not transmitted to Earth.
And although NASA has long imposed strict restrictions on alcohol intake in space, Russian astronauts in the past have been able to afford to relax. The astronauts aboard the Mir space station could afford a little brandy and vodka. I wonder how they agreed to fly to the ISS with its Prohibition.
In 2015, the Japanese company Suntory sent some of its finest whiskey to the space station. This was done as part of an experiment to observe "the manifestation of taste in alcoholic beverages during use in microgravity." In other words, since booze gains strength in a different way under microgravity conditions, then it will taste better and appear faster.
And a few years ago, from September 2011 to September 2014, NASA conducted an experiment to study the effect of microgravity on whiskey and charred oak wood, which helps the drink in the process. After 1000 days in space, the tannins in the whiskey remained unchanged - but the space chips produced higher concentrations of their flavor.
So while the astronauts were banned from drinking alcohol, even in space, they continue to work to improve the taste of the alcoholic drinks we drink here on Earth. As for the Martian missions, which will stretch for years, alcohol will definitely not be enough there.
Experts like Hanson, however, see no harm in further restricting alcohol. Apart from practical security considerations, there may be other problems. Hanson believes that many of the socio-cultural differences of earthlings living in a confined space for many years will significantly complicate drinking.
“This is politics. This is culture. But this is not science,”he says. What happens if you find yourself among Muslims, Mormons or teetotalers? Harmonization of cultural points of view in a limited space will be a priority from the very beginning.
Therefore, astronauts who want to cheer up will have to enjoy the view from the window, and not the view at the bottom of the glass. But we'll leave some champagne for them when they return.
ILYA KHEL