THE VISITOR

2 International Space Station

Within a minute, all seven of us floated in the United States Destiny module. Claustrophobia rose again with so many in the one location, all in bizarre positions watching Mike.

The commander counted us and hit a large green button on the wall. The sirens were silenced, but the threatening flashing continued to remind us the emergency was still in progress.

Our invisible enemy comprised neutrons mainly but also protons coughed out by various high-energy sources in the galaxy. Geosynchronous satellites gave warnings which were relayed to us from NASA who triggered the alarms. Several ISS modules were now protected, but the safest was Destiny. Its new water-jacket absorbed many particles before they could do damage, but some would inevitably pass through both it and us, potentially damaging our DNA and causing future cancers, cataracts, and other medical problems. Everything was done to minimise the risk, but space was inherently an unsafe place in which to work and we'd need to be monitored for the rest of our lives.

The ISS needed replacing, but it had been reprieved, expanded, and its structure improved on an ad hoc basis. The planned new Orbital Station would incorporate far better radiation protection, but none of the agencies wanted to scrap the current set-up.

We whispered among ourselves while half listening to Mike's conversation with NASA and Roscosmos.

The call ended.

'Okay, guys. We're stuck in here for about forty minutes until we enter the Earth's shadow. The danger will be over by the time we emerge. Sorry to the newcomers. Not much of a welcome for you. We get two or three of these a week.'

'Just our luck,' I said to Yuri.

'Well, Eva. You wanted meet everyone. Now you have time,' he replied and laughed.

It's true. The emergency gave us the opportunity to relax, have a coffee, and talk about current ISS projects. In such fascinating company our temporary imprisonment quickly passed and the induction action for Zinaida and me began once more.

I'd met most of the astronauts during training but it was good to encounter them again in this environment for which we'd been preparing. As with most visitors to the ISS, few were taller than Mike's five foot ten inches. When it came to moving around in the space station, smaller was more convenient. My slim, fit, five foot five was ideal, but I wished I'd not kept my hair shoulder-length. I hated stunted ponytails and pigtails, but it was either that or I'd have to improvise a couple of hair bands or print some on the 3D printer. Currently it escaped from my head in virtually every direction. If it was curly it would be an afro!

Our induction continued with fire extinguishers, emergency lockers, and equipment stores. We'd done it all before in training, but freefall, with its variable ups and downs, added a whole new perspective.

After the induction, Mike and I floated in one of the largest empty spaces on the ISS, the Kibo Japanese module.

'Just want to catch up with your mission plans. How'd you get involved in this space junk project?' he asked.

We already knew each other from training in Houston, but we'd never really discussed the space débris mission, mainly because it was a Euro-Russian project.

'Long story short, I had no career path towards becoming an astronaut at all but joined European Space Agency mission control in Darmstadt in a science role. Somehow got side-tracked into space junk, then onto ESA science missions at Noordwijk.'

'And that led to this mission?'

'Yes, a Scottish scientist called Angus MacBeath took me into his team and we designed the Space Débris Investigation Vehicle. I still didn't think I'd get to command it though, yet here I am. I guess I ticked all the right boxes. Can't wait to get started.'