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Are astronaut helmets bullet proof?
A typical astronaut helmet like those worn in the Apollo missions is made of highly strengthened polycarbonate. Polycarbonate is a high impact-resistant plastic that you can also find in bulletproof glass and exterior automotive parts.
Can astronauts eat in their spacesuits?
Eating. There is a slot in the hard upper torso (HUT) portion of the EMU for a rice paper-covered fruit and cereal bar. The bar is designed so that the astronaut can take a bite and pull the remainder up. The entire bar must be eaten at once to prevent crumbs from floating within the helmet.
What happens if helmet breaks in space?
When the astronaut removes his helmet, the vacuum would pull all the air out of the astronaut’s body and he would be completely out of the air in just a few seconds. In a maximum of 45 seconds, the astronaut would faint, and in about one or two minutes the astronaut would die a very painful death.
How tough are astronaut suits?
Over the last 50 years, the durability of the space suit has, literally gone from stone age to new age. At its inception back in 1944, it has gone from a one-time use to lasting upwards of 15 years. Beginning with a weight years ago staring at 180lbs, the suit now weights 110lbs.
Has anyone died floating in space?
A total of 18 people have lost their lives either while in space or in preparation for a space mission, in four separate incidents. All seven crew members died, including Christa McAuliffe, a teacher from New Hampshire selected on a special NASA programme to bring civilians into space.
How long can you survive in space with a suit?
Astronauts can survive in their spacesuits as long as the oxygen tanks allow them to continue breathing. The two oxygen tanks and the emergency oxygen supply in current EMU suits collectively contain 6.5 to 8 hours (+ 30 minutes) worth of oxygen.
Why do astronauts wear tight suits?
The suits protect astronauts from getting too hot or cold. Spacesuits also give astronauts oxygen to breathe while they are working in space. The suits hold water to drink. They also keep astronauts from getting hurt by space dust.
Is the space station airtight?
The ISS is made from welded aluminum plus a few bolted joints with airtight seals. A helium balloon is made of maybe 0.1 mm rubber. Rubber is somewhat porous to air. The ISS is made of at least 2 mm aluminum, which is non-porous to air, and being 20x thicker, will easily keep 14.7 psi air trapped inside.