THE SPACE TABLE

摘要

Once upon a time on the space station, there was only one table on the Russian side. After several years the Russians exchanged it for a new one, and the American astronauts asked permission to install it on the U.S. side, in Node 1. When we had dinner together, we'd have maybe six people around the table. The rest of the time the table was in the way, protruding into our passageway. I bumped into it two or three times, pretty hard. One Sunday I was in there having lunch or dinner, I don't remember. I was alone, and I was looking at this table. I decided something was wrong. I could not figure out what, but finally it hit me. They had installed the table like you would in your house-with a surface parallel to the floor. But on the space station, it doesn't make any sense. There is no floor. I mean, there is one, but it's just for reference. But because by definition a table is parallel to the floor, it was installed that way. Now it just took up a lot of space.