Life as an Astronaut: Everything You Wanted to Know About Space in 60 Seconds

Watch astronaut Clayton Anderson answer your most burning questions about space.

By
ALYSSA NEWCOMB and OLIVIA SMITH
June 1, 2015, 11:24 AM ET
3 min read

— -- Ever wonder what space smells like or how astronauts go to the bathroom?

Retired astronaut Clayton Anderson, author of the new book "The Ordinary Spaceman," is dishing on everything from his 15 rejections from NASA to what life was like behind the scenes when he finally made it to the International Space Station.

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Anderson has been to space on two missions and shared his insights with ABC News by sharing "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Being an Astronaut in 60 Seconds."

Launching on the space shuttle Atlantis in 2007, Anderson spent 152 days at the International Space Station. His second mission in 2010 on board the space shuttle Discovery lasted 15 days as he helped resupply the space station.

During his two missions, Anderson completed six space walks -- and told ABC News what was going through his head the first time he stepped outside the space station with his emergency jet pack strapped to his back.

"It's dark out there!" he said.