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Life In The Clouds: By Kristen Weyman, Shana
Warnecke, Katie Tegtmeier, and Aaron Martin Contents: Steve Fossett will take Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) with him onboard Solo Spirit. MREs are self-contained military rations that Fossett will boil before eating. He also has snacks to eat between meals. The MREs and snacks create a base for a normal diet and give him necessary nutrients. Throughout the trip, Fossett will consume about two pounds of food per day, with enough supplies to last 22 days in the air. He also has about 50 liters of water and expects to drink 2.5 liters per day. The MREs and snacks will be stored in plastic bags, his water will be contained in gallon jugs. Up to Contents Fossett has a bench in his gondola on which he sleeps, and a sleeping bag. Throughout the mission, Fossett plans to take 15 minute catnaps and hopes to average about 2 hours of sleep a day. The capsule is 7ft. long by 5 ½ feet wide by 5 ½ feet tall. Fossett does not have much room in his small capsule to exercise. The only exercise he will get is related to the mission, such as changing fuel cells. Up to Contents The provisions for this are simple but adequate. The capsule is equipped with a sealed bottle for urine and a plastic-lined container for solid waste. Up to Contents There are several environmental factors that will have an effect
on Fossett during the trip, including low temperatures and low air pressures.
The interior of the capsule will be maintained around 15 degrees C (50 deg.
Fahrenheit) by heaters. To minimize the effects of low air pressure,
Fossett will live in Colorado at 8,200 feet before the trip. At night he
will sleep in a ski patrol hut at 11,400 feet and in his altitude chamber which
mimics pressures found at altitudes from 12,000 to 18,000 feet. Because of
the difficult environment and changes in his eating habits, Fossett will lose
about one pound every day during the flight. Up to Contents |
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