Things astronauts are NOT ALLOWED to do in space

From a distance, the International Space Station looks calm, almost poetic. It drifts quietly above Earth, a thin line of light crossing the night sky. Inside, life feels less romantic. Days are tightly scheduled. Space is shared, controlled, and watched closely. Nothing floats freely by accident, and nothing happens without a reason. Astronauts do not live there in the way people live at home. They operate inside a working laboratory where small mistakes can grow quickly. Even familiar habits have to be rethought. Eating, washing, writing, resting. All of it changes once gravity stops doing its job. Over months in orbit, rules become part of survival rather than discipline. Some are obvious. Others feel oddly personal. Together, they shape a life that looks ordinary on the surface but behaves very differently once you step inside.Below are some ways an astronaut lives in space, as per NASA.Alcohol exists on Earth to mark moments. In space, moments are handled differently. Even BBC mentioned astronauts are expected to stay medically stable and mentally sharp at all times. Even small impairment matters when machinery, air systems, and experiments depend on constant attention. There is also the chemistry. Alcohol vapour behaves unpredictably in microgravity and could interfere with water recycling systems. That risk alone is enough. The ban also extends to products like perfume and mouthwash. Nothing volatile is welcome. Celebration, if it happens, stays symbolic.Crumbs do not fall in space. They linger. A single fragment can drift into vents, switches, or sensitive equipment. Bread, crackers, and dry snacks create too much risk for comfort. Even salt and pepper are avoided in loose form. NASA says food is adapted instead. Tortillas replace sliced bread. Seasonings come as liquids. Meals are planned for control rather than choice. Fresh fruit appears only when supply ships arrive. The occasional pizza has happened, but always under careful conditions. Eating still brings comfort, just without mess.Ink relies on gravity more than people realise. NASA says a standard ballpoint pen struggles to work when there is nothing pulling the ink downward. Early missions used pencils, but graphite dust caused its own concerns. Tiny particles floating near electronics were never ideal. The solution came quietly. The space pen uses pressurised ink that flows regardless of orientation. It writes upside down. down, sideways, or mid-air. It does not feel dramatic. It just works, which is often the goal in orbit.Showers are familiar and deeply missed. They are also impractical. Water is heavy, costly, and precious aboard the station. A single shower would use more water than the system can spare. Instead, astronauts clean themselves with damp cloths, liquid soap, and rinseless shampoo. It feels closer to camping than bathing. Much of the water they use has already been recycled from air moisture and waste. It sounds unpleasant but becomes routine. Cleanliness still matters. It just arrives differently.A regular toilet assumes gravity will take care of things. In space, it will not. Toilets on the ISS rely on airflow to guide waste where it needs to go. Astronauts strap themselves in place to stay aligned. Urine is collected and recycled into drinking water. Solid waste is stored, then sent back toward Earth to burn up during reentry. The system works, but it requires attention. There is little room for error or distraction.Carbonation depends on gas escaping upward. In microgravity, bubbles stay trapped in liquid. That gas ends up inside the body instead. On Earth, a burp solves the problem. In space, it does not. Gas becomes uncomfortable and persistent. For that reason, fizzy drinks never made the cut. Tea, coffee, and juices are fine. Soda stays grounded, no matter how long the day has been.Fire is one of the greatest dangers in space. The station contains oxygen rich air and no easy escape routes. Smoke would spread quickly and contaminate shared systems. There is nowhere to step outside. Filters would struggle. The risk is too high. Astronauts who once smoked are expected to stop well before launch. Nicotine replacements are allowed, but flames are not.There is no washing machine on the ISS. Water use again makes that impossible. Clothes are worn longer than most people would accept on Earth. Eventually, they are sealed into cargo vessels and destroyed during re entry. Astronaut clothing is designed to resist odour and reduce discomfort. It is not glamorous. It is functional. Like most things in orbit, it simply has to be enough.