Screenshot from the movie "Weekends in Space"

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What do astronauts do with their downtime?

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Published on April 08, 2021

When you picture a workplace in space, you might imagine the cramped, cluttered quarters of the International Space Station. Great views, but where do you go to stretch your legs and chat? Where would you even put a water cooler? What would you do with your day off? Unlike 2001: A Space Odyssey, most space ships don’t have room for a leisurely jog in a zero-gravity loop de loop

Jessica U. Meir plays saxophone in the Cupola. (photo credit: NASA)
Photo of astronaut Jessica U. Meir playing sax in the Cupola. (credit: NASA)

Thanks to our friends at Supercluster, we now know astronauts not only have time off, they use it to play ping pong, paddle ball, soccer, guitar, flute, saxophone, do yo-yo tricks, even tweet out deep space thoughts to their Earth-bound followers. Here's a glimpse of what life looks when astronauts are off the clock.

Unwinding at the end of the workday isn’t easy no matter what kind of job you do. But we’re working on ways to help you find work-life balance by taking away the tedious tasks that slow your flow. Last year, Supercluster’s team of reporters, editors, and creatives showed us how they use Dropbox to organize and share gigabytes of videos and photos. Even in the midst of a global pandemic, they were able to keep collaborating remotely on compelling stories of space exploration.

This year, with vaccinations underway, hopes return for the possibility of getting together with friends and co-workers in a post-pandemic reunion. So here’s a little playful inspiration from some of the remotest remote workers you’ll ever meet. 

For the full story, check out Weekends in Space on Supercluster.com.