1.   Although American astronauts have rarely spent longer than two weeks in close quarters, they have described grating social friction upon returning from Mir.

2.   Before a spacewalk, astronauts will spend about eight hours in the equipment lock at reduced pressure to removed nitrogen from their blood.

3.   The former Orlando congressman and shuttle astronaut would spend the next four years in political oblivion.

4.   To finally assemble it, astronauts will spend more hours in space than the total of all previous space walks.

5.   U.S. astronauts usually spend only a week or two in orbit.

6.   After dispatching the TDRS craft, the astronauts spent a week conducting medical and military experiments.

7.   Several other French astronauts have spent shorter stints on the station.

8.   Since then, the astronauts have spent most of their time performing secondary science and military experiments.

9.   Seven astronauts will spend time growing crystals, jiggling drops of fluids, measuring shuttle vibrations, setting controlled fires, and fussing over small potato plants.

10.   The astronauts also spent one day inside Alpha, helping commander Bill Shepherd and his two Russian crewmates with computer problems and cargo transfers.