Space Hatch

[waxy]

I've been trying and trying to figure it out, <br />i've searched so many places (oh lord, the <br />NASA website has a pathatic search engine)<br />but i just can't find or figure out how the <br />space hatch works.<br /><br />in a submarine, the hatch pumps out air while <br />pumping in water to allow divers to exit. <br />But how do you remove air when you have<br />nothing to put in it's place?<br />

 

[harmonicaman]

Both submarines and space ships have bottles of compressed air. In a space ship, compressed air is released back into the cabin after the hatch is shut.

 

[waxy]

No, i mean before the hatch is open, how do they get the?<br />air out so that the naut isn't blown into space by<br />decompression when he opens the door for a space walk?

 

[waxy]

<img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> Thanks shuttle guy. <br />i didn't know if they'd vent it because <br />of possiable 'Thrusting' off course or <br />if they recompressed it. Again, Thanks <br />for the clarification <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[harmonicaman]

Yes, thanks <b>ShuttleGuy</b> for correcting my error!

 

[CalliArcale]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>BTW: the vent is non propulsive i.e. it vents through 2 ports which are opposite each other.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />Cool! I'd never even thought of that, but it makes perfect sense to do it that way. Silly me, I'd never even thought that the venting could impart thrust if they weren't careful about it. What a simple solution to the problem. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> I like!<br /><br />That brings up another thought. Does wastewater venting have to be set up the same way, to counteract its own thrust, or is its thrust small enough not to bother? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

Very clever indeed. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> That is so cool! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[nacnud]

That is a damn good idea! But then wouldn't you have to use the RCS to keep the orbiter in level fight... <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />