18 Secrets About Being An Astronaut That NASA Won't Tell You

"It's like seven people in a camper van with a porta-potty for two weeks."

1. Pretty much everyone barfs in space at some point.

2. The space shuttles used to smell pretty rank.

3. But the International Space Station smells fine.

4. The old Russian space station Mir smelled “like grandma’s cellar.”

5. Pool training doesn't really teach you how to move around in space.

6. Veteran astronauts call rookies learning how to move in space "bulls in a china shop."

7. If you make a mistake, there’s a good chance you won’t live it down.

8. Two classic mistakes are breaking your helmet visor during pool training and getting your tether line tangled.

9. Space Shuttle crew members sometimes get wake-up music picked by their families.

10. Many astronauts get a “call sign,” or nickname, given to them by their peers. The trick is to pretend you like whatever they give you.

Curbeam said he got lucky with the name Beamer. Parazynski, on the other hand, became Doogie Howser. "I looked like I was 12. I was right out of medical school. I hated the name, and I let people know about it, so that's what made it really stick," he said.

11. There are things that astronauts have no control over, and they can terrify even the toughest among them.

12. Relay races and other games happen in the International Space Station from time to time.

13. It’s really easy to sneak up on people to scare them in space.

14. Your body has a tough time adjusting to gravity after you return.

15. Your body has a REALLY tough time after longer periods in space.

16. You can actually get taller in space, and it is painful as fuck to deal with.

17. Returning to Earth can also be difficult emotionally for many astronauts.

18. And, finally, it can change how you view the world.

Be sure to check out these astronauts on Secret Space Escapes, premiering Nov. 10 at 10 p.m. ET/9 CT on the Science Channel!

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