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Astronaut Myths: 17 Things They Can and Can't Do in Space
From floating tears and spherical flames to the 'zero-g' lie — here are 17 surprising facts and persistent myths about living in microgravity.
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Astronaut Myths: 17 Things They Can and Can't Do in Space 
17. Burping Like On EarthWithout gravity separating gas from liquids in the stomach, burping in space causes a "wet burp" of regurgitation. 
16. Doing LaundryWater is too precious for washing machines in space; dirty clothes are worn for weeks, then incinerated in the atmosphere. 
15. Keeping Your FingernailsPressurized spacewalk gloves crush fingertips during 8-hour EVAs, frequently causing astronauts' fingernails to fall off. 
14. Eating Crumbly BreadFloating breadcrumbs can choke astronauts, clog delicate ventilation fans, or spark electrical fires, making tortillas the law of orbit. 
13. Sleeping UntetheredWithout tethering sleeping bags to walls, gentle cabin ventilation currents slowly drift sleeping astronauts into equipment. 
12. Spotting The Great WallMade of native stone and blending into surrounding ridges, the Great Wall is virtually impossible to see with the naked eye from orbit. 
11. Retaining Normal EyesightFluid shifts push against the back of astronauts' eyeballs, causing progressive farsightedness in up to 70% of crew members. 
10. Tasting Subtle FlavorsFluids shifting to the head cause chronic sinus congestion, deadening subtle taste buds and sparking cravings for fiery hot sauce. 
9. Staying The Same HeightRelieved of gravity's compression, spinal discs expand, making astronauts temporarily grow up to two inches taller in orbit. 
8. Writing With A Regular PenThe "million-dollar space pen" story is a myth; pencils were fire hazards, and private inventor Paul Fisher funded the $6 pressurized pen. 
7. Lighting A Round FlameFire does burn in space, but without buoyant convection currents to feed it, flames form a cool, dim, spherical blue dome. 
6. Smelling Outer SpaceWhile vacuum has no air, returning spacewalkers universally report spacesuits smelling like seared steak, ozone, and spent gunpowder. 
5. Drinking From An Open CupNASA engineered the patented Capillary Cup, using sharp geometry and surface tension to let crew members sip hot coffee like on Earth. 
4. Surviving Brief Vacuum ExposureBodies do not explode in space; human skin is elastic, and brief vacuum exposure allows 10 to 15 seconds of useful consciousness. 
3. Preventing Blood From BoilingWhile saliva and tears boil in a vacuum, internal cardiovascular pressure keeps blood completely liquid while the heart beats. 
2. Crying Tears In OrbitTears form in space, but without gravity to pull them downward, crying creates a stinging, growing liquid ball over the eyes. 
1. Floating In "Zero Gravity"Earth's gravity aboard the ISS is still 90% of surface strength; astronauts float because they are in constant 17,500 mph free fall.
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