

1. Suits, Shells, and Survival
10 snips Jan 4, 2025
Helen Sharman, Britain's first astronaut and a chemist, shares her cosmic journey and quirky experiences. She discusses the hilarious nostalgia of 90s shell suits while intertwining personal anecdotes with her astronaut training. The conversation hilariously leaps into how animals like tortoises contributed to space survival, the crucial role of seamstresses during Apollo missions, and even the challenges of sending ice cream to the International Space Station. A delightful mix of history and humor that’s out of this world!
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First Animals Tested In Flight
- In 1783 French inventors sent a sheep, a chicken and a duck in an untethered hot air balloon to test human flight safety.
- The animals survived and became early test subjects for airborne experiments.
Balloon-Assisted Launch Benefits
- Launching rockets from high-altitude balloons reduces atmospheric drag and saves fuel by starting above thick atmosphere.
- Several post-war space programmes explored balloon-assisted launches to improve efficiency.
Animals Proved Early Space Survival
- Early high-altitude flights carried fruit flies, hamsters and goldfish as biological test subjects until rockets could orbit Earth.
- In 1968 tortoises orbited the Moon and returned, proving endurance and radiation resistance.