Astronaut Logbook: What A Week In The Life Of The ISS Commander Looks Like

Ever wonder what a typical week is like in an astronaut's life in space? The European Space Agency (ESA) has created an astronaut logbook to let common people know just that.

The logbook will cover different aspects of the life of astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti onboard the International Space Station (ISS). Logbook activity is part of ESA's education program. In other news, Samantha Cristoforetti recently became the first European woman to command the ISS.

The logbook will focus on topics including food, exercise, hobbies, clothes, and teamwork.

Day 1 is all about food. Astronauts usually have three meals in a day -- breakfast, lunch, and dinner. These meals need to provide astronauts with all the nutrients they need, while also making sure enough is stored to last throughout the mission.

"Eating on the International Space Station is very different than on Earth: we don't cook! All our food is pre-cooked: sometimes it can be eaten as it is, like nuts, sometimes we just need to warm it up in our little oven, and sometimes we need to add water because the food is dehydrated." Samantha Cristoforetti wrote in her diary.

"I get to choose what I eat in space from what is available, there is no strict meal planning, and I get to take some special foods with me from Earth too!" Cristoforetti added.

Talking about her meals, Cristoforetti wrote on that day she had mushroom soup, an omelet with broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus, and some macadamia nuts.

Day 2 discussed exercise on the space station. A video was shared showing Samantha Cristoforetti talking about the gym equipment available on the ISS. In the video, Cristoforetti showed a special bike with no seat; astronauts just have to hook their feet into the pedal and start pedalling. The Italian space commander also talked about treadmills and weightlifting in weightlessness in the video.

"Of course, exercise is important on Earth as well, but up here it's important because we are weightless all day and so if we didn't work out, exercise, or put some loads on our body, we would quickly lose muscle mass, strength and also bone density," Cristoforetti said in the video.

Day 3 was focused on hobbies. Cristoforetti's day usually starts at 7 am. She then works for 10 hours doing experiments and essential maintenance, and then exercises for two hours. She also participates in daily task meetings and weekly health checks.

Once work is complete, Cristoforetti likes to watch our blue planet and take pictures she can share.

The topic for day 4 was clothes.

"Inside the space station, we have a comfortable environment. We have air at the same pressure as on Earth, and the temperature is about 22°C. To work, we usually wear T-shirts and trousers with plenty of pockets and a lot of Velcro stripes to attach things. We only wear socks – no need for shoes!" Cristoforetti wrote in her diary.

"I have one pair of trousers per month, one T-shirt per week, and I can change underwear every 2 days and socks every four days. I also have separate sets of exercise clothes. I can choose between which of my clothes to wear, for example, whether I wear long-sleeved or short-sleeved shirts." Cristoforetti added.

On day 5, the logbook talks about teamwork onboard the ISS.

"Everything we do up here on the International Space Station is teamwork. A fellow crewmate might help me on a task if it is taking longer than planned, or they might notice a mistake I am making, or they might just cheer me up if I am sad about something," Cristoforetti said.

Cristoforetti added since the crew lives and works together 24 hours a day "it's important to always look out for opportunities to help your crewmates, and always try to be aware of how your crewmates are doing."