零重力太空杯

Space Sip

零重力下，宇航员渴求地球上能享受到的舒适，例如到夜里要将头扎在泡沫的“枕头”上，可是饮用任何液体都只能通过管子从小袋子中吸食，宇航员唐·佩蒂特说：这种感觉就像是一只昆虫从另一只昆虫体内吸食液体。因此在去年11月执行太空任务过程中，他用塑料片折成了一个杯子，另一端进行密封一由于毛细管作用，尖角度能把液体吸上来，这一原理与太空零重力状态下火箭抽吸燃料进入发动机的原理是相同的。唐·佩蒂特说，一千年后，今日之技术早已落后，但未来的宇航员仍会从他发明的杯子中喝水。

In zero gravity, astronauts crave earthly comforts. That＇s why they strap their heads to foam ＂pillows＂ at night. Alas, liquids pool or slosh and must be ingested from a pouch via straw. ＂You feel like an insect sucking juices out of another insect,＂ says astronaut don Pettit. So, on a mission last November, he made a cup from a plastic sheet sealed with tape. The sharp angle draws liquids to the lip--a force called capillary action, which pulls fuel into rocket engines. In a thousand years, he says, today＇s technology will be long gone, but space travelers will drink up from his cup.