Living
in space for two weeks on the Space Shuttle or for many months on
a space station is both an adventure and an adjustment. On long
missions the isolation from family, friends, and familiar surroundings
can become a hardship.
Shuttle
astronauts are busy at least 16 hours a day working on a full schedule
of mission tasks. They spend their remaining time exercising, eating,
and sleeping, with little time to relax.
On
the Soviet and Russian space stations, cosmonauts are not as heavily
tasked and have more time on their hands. During longer duration
stays, some have felt loneliness and boredom.
To
add a touch of home and some relief from their regimens, astronauts
and cosmonauts take a few of their favorite things into orbit.
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