Rules Astronauts Have To Follow Every Mission

Have you ever gotten what you consider a "dream job" and found out that it is nothing like you imagined it? Millions of people look up to the skies and imagine themselves being in space as an astronaut. The job is a very grueling one though, and it has a lot of requirements, per Space, that would give anyone who is not 100% dedicated a reason to reconsider. There are also a lot of restrictions and rules.

Thanks to zero gravity, sleep is very different for an astronaut. They can't just lie down and fall asleep, as they would float around and possibly damage things. Instead, according to NASA, they usually get into a sleeping bag and tie themselves down. As if that wasn't enough, they also have to get used to multiple sunrises each time due to their orbit causing the sun to rise and set roughly every hour and a half. The astronauts usually wear eye coverings to keep from being affected by that.

Per the BBC, astronauts must not drink alcohol while in space. The International Space Station has a lot of intricate technology that can be difficult to sort out even with the clearest of minds. Trying to figure out why an alarm is going off while under the influence could be a matter of life or death. So it is better for all involved that the astronauts stay alcohol-free — they can enjoy it when they get back to Earth. 

In the same vein, carbonated beverages are out as well, per NASA. That is because the bubbles act differently in space. Also, letting out that legendary burp in space could be a disaster, due to the fact that the contents of one's stomach could be released, too. This is because there is no gravity holding it in their stomachs. So, a burp would lead to throwing up, per Business Insider. 

Astronauts also have to exercise for two hours a day. NASA explains that they don't use their muscles like they do on Earth, and they can atrophy. There is equipment for them to use in order to keep in shape. One side effect is that their sweat turns into little floating bubbles that they need to clean up, which is quite different from having drenched clothes.

These are just some of the things that every astronaut has to do. Other requirements, according to Scientific American, include not crying, since that can cause problems with floating tears, being able to do three laps in a swimming pool while wearing their 250-pound space outfits while not stopping, and they must be able to share a crowded space with other people while giving them privacy.

Becoming an astronaut is very difficult to begin with, given that only a select few are picked over thousands of applicants. It makes sense that they would accept these rules without a second thought. They are the best of the best, and the rest of humanity can only live vicariously through them.