But before you travel into space, there are a few things you should be aware of. The motion of a spacecraft in orbit creates a feeling of weightlessness, which means you float around in the air. Push off a wall too hard and you’ll bounce off the opposite wall like a Ping-Pong ball. To minimize the bumps and bruises common to first-time space travelers, you’ll need to learn how to move around a room while in microgravity.
In addition, motion in space can make you feel nauseated. About to throw up? Be sure to do it into a bag. Otherwise, small, stinking globs of vomit will hang in the air. Ew.
Another important thing to remember: Take time to appreciate the view. Fewer than 600 people have seen Earth from space, and many of them say it was a life-changing experience. From 250 miles away, you can see the curve of the planet. You can see the whole United States in one glance, and you don’t see the boundaries between countries. “When I first looked back at the Earth,” recalled astronaut Alan Shepard in 1971, “I cried.”