Astronaut Sophie Adenot Demonstrates Water Physics on ISS

Astronaut Sophie Adenot used a plastic bottle to demonstrate the effects of centrifuge force and air bubbles onboard the International Space Station.

The demonstration highlights the challenges of fluid dynamics in microgravity, providing a visual example of how liquids behave differently than on Earth. While the video features a bottle, such containers are not standard for hydration in space due to the risks of floating droplets.

Recording the segment on mission day 65 ^[1] during orbit 1,005 ^[2], Adenot presented the activity as part of a Sunday morning science series. She used the bottle to illustrate the interaction between water and air bubbles when subjected to centrifuge force.

Adenot clarified that the bottle was used exclusively for the experiment. She said, "Onboard the Station, we drink from soft pouches that we fill and refill with recycled water. This plastic bottle is only used for fun science demonstrations."

Drinking from open containers in a microgravity environment is avoided because water does not pour; instead, it clings to surfaces or forms floating spheres. To prevent these spheres from drifting into sensitive electronics or the eyes of crew members, the ISS utilizes a closed-loop system. This system relies on the aforementioned soft pouches and recycled water to maintain hydration safely.

The outreach segment, titled "Water, air bubbles, and centrifuge force," is the fourth episode in Adenot's series. By sharing these demonstrations, the European Space Agency aims to make complex orbital physics accessible to a general audience through direct observation from the station.