Space Suits Flashcards
pressure garments:
Space suits
Functions of a space suit
- supply O2, remove CO2
- thermoregulation
- counter pressure
- micrometeoroids protection
- radiation protection
Supply oxygen and remove CO2:
- lithium hydroxide canister to absorb CO2
- less than 15 sec survival without O2
Thermoregulation:
- can range from 120 celsius to minus 200 celsius in space
- reason suit is white inside , to reflect suns heat but black inside to keep heat in
Counter pressure:
- cold boiling
- no atmosphere so boil at any temperature
- avoid body fluid boiling pump air into suit to add pressure
cold boiling =
-endothermic process = reduction in temperature
when atmosphere pressure = vapour pressure
micrometeoroid protection:
- sand grains faster than a high velocity rifle bullet
- 10 k/s
- external layer of suit contains layers of Kevlar for micrometeoroid protection
radiation protection:
- X-rays, gamma rays, solar wind
- orientate spacecraft so thickest part faces sun
where do you find hard vacuum
outer space
-almost perfect but still some atoms still present (hydrogen)
Effects of exposure to hard vacuum
- brief survival
- expansion of skin as gases expand
- pneumothorax if breath held in
- ‘cold boiling’ of body fluids
pneumothorax =
- collapsed lung
- occurs when air leaks into the space between your lung and chest wall. This air pushes on the outside of your lung and makes it collapse.
Helmets function:
provides pressure integrity to the head where most of the special sensors are located
-VISOR protects from UV light
pressure garments effect on mobility
causes mobility issues thus reduced pressure
-15lbs/inch2 on earth, suit = 2lbs/inch2 with 100% O2
outer protection of suit:
- external layer = white for thermal control
- made of woven glass called BETA CLOTH-FIRE-PROOF, insulating MYLAR (gold foil) NYLON and kevlar for micrometeoroid protection
Regolith:
- lunar regolith = moon sand
- jaggered and sharp very abbressive
- concerns similar to asbestos (get into lungs, lung cancer)
