 How did suspension help the crew?
There were round dials set in a row above a speaker. Over the mesh-covered speaker, two knobs glowed red. The curve met another straight bulkhead on the left. The mesh-covered hole and the two lights looked like a caricature of a face, set in a panel of dials. I reached down to the tightness that held my body, found the wide strap that held me and fumbled with the buckle. How do you describe being weightless when you are born into a world bound by gravity. There was no sensation of place, no feeling of up or down, no direction. I reasoned it was there to propel yourself through the passageway in this weightless atmosphere. After the first shock of looking out, I accepted the fact that I was in a space ship, yet I couldn't read the maps that were fastened to a table, nor understand the function or design of the compact machinery. It was the only thing I saw that could help me, guard me against another shock like seeing outside of the clear portholes. "You have been removed from suspension. "Do not begin operations until the others are removed from suspension." Your maximum deviation from schedule cannot exceed two degrees. The eyelid remained open until I closed it and went on. I dared not try to operate anything. Everything lay in readiness, fastened down star charts, instruments, glittering equipment. It waited for human hands to make it operate. This room was filled with equipment that formed a room out of the bordered area I stood in. I sat in the deep chair facing the panel of dials and instruments, in easy reach. The ports on the side were shielded and I stared out at static energy, hung motionless in a world of searing light. There was no distortion, no movement outside and I glanced back at the dials. What speeds and perhaps, what distance? They stood for anything I might guess, and something kept pricking my mind, telling me I had no time to guess. I was supposed to act according to ... plan. Four people in all, depending on a blind helpless fool who didn't know their names or the reason for that dependence. I went from the nose to the last bulkhead in a frenzy of floating motion, looking behind each door until I went as far as I could. They both ended in the lead shield that was set where the swell of the curve was biggest. It meant the engine or engines took up half the ship, cut off from the forward half by the instrument studded shield.
 They could travel through space for a long distance.
 They could survive without oxygen.  They could live on an inhospitable planet.  They could survive with lack of gravity.  They could travel through space for a long distance.