A Japanese astronaut tested a “flying carpet” in outer space, folded laundry and used eye drops as part of a series of zero-gravity challenges submitted by the public.
Standing on a white sheet, Koichi Wakata was gliding smoothly through a cabin of the International Space Station, as if snowboarding, in a video clip posted online by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
“I flew on this magic carpet by using adhesive tape so that the soles of my feet stayed on it,” the 45-year-old revealed, speaking into a microphone during what appeared at times like a variety show.
The experiment was part of 16 offbeat tasks selected from ideas sent to the space agency by hundreds of Japanese citizens, from nursery school pupils to a 90-year-old man.
Tackling another challenge, Wakata showed how to use eye drops in zero gravity, squeezing out a tiny ball of liquid and letting it perch at the tip of the container before carefully bringing it to his eye.
Wakata also handled the awkward task of folding laundry in zero gravity, struggling with a shirt and then, for added difficulty, the floating arms and legs of a blue space overall.
He performed the off-the-wall tasks in the Japanese laboratory Kibo (Hope) of the ISS on May 15, having also performed challenges in April, including push-ups.
Video footage is at http://iss.jaxa.jp/library/video/omoshiro_090515.php.
(AFP)
一名日本太空人應民眾要求，在外太空無重力的狀況下挑戰一系列動作，例如實驗「飛毯」、折衣服和滴眼藥水等。
日本宇宙航空開發局在網路上公佈的一段影片中，太空人若田光一在國際太空站的太空艙內，站在一張白色床單上流暢地滑行，就像在玩滑雪板一樣。
這名四十五歲的太空人一面進行這段有時看似雜技秀的表演，一面對著麥克風說話時透露：「我用膠帶把腳底黏在毯子上，讓自己能乘著這塊魔毯飛行。」
從全國幼稚園學生乃至九十歲阿公提交的數百個奇特太空挑戰中，日本宇航局挑出了十六項任務，飛毯實驗就是其中之一。
若田的另一個挑戰是展示如何在無重力的環境下滴眼藥水，他擠出一小滴液體，讓其附著在眼藥水瓶口的尖端，然後再小心地把這滴眼藥水滴進眼睛裡。
若田還處理了在無重力狀態下折衣服的棘手任務，他努力折了一件襯衫後，又挑戰更高難度的動作，就是折一件飄在空中的藍色太空衣的袖子和褲管。
五月十五日，他在國際太空站上的日本實驗室「希望艙」中，表演了這一系列奇特的任務；他四月時也曾執行伏地挺身等挑戰。
表演影片請見：http://iss.jaxa.jp/library/video/omoshiro_090515.php。
（法新社╱翻譯：袁星塵）
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