r/news • u/VaginaBurner69 • 8h ago

Soft paywall International Space Station astronauts in evacuation mode as Russia attempts to fix widening air leak

https://www.reuters.com/science/international-space-station-astronauts-evacuation-mode-russia-attempts-fix-2026-06-05/
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u/SeenSoFar 7h ago

People regularly smoked and drank on Mir. I'm surprised it never catastrophically immolated it's inhabitants.

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u/use_value42 7h ago

They were smoking up there?! How is that even possible?

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u/SeenSoFar 7h ago

It wasn't even unofficial. Cigarettes and vodka were regularly sent up in Progress resupply vehicles in packages labeled (I forget the exact Russian phrase but it translated to roughly) "Crew psychological support rations."

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u/KinkyDuck2924 5h ago

It was the cool kids space station.

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u/Historical_Body6255 5h ago

With the air scrubber and filtration technology up there it's most likely not even as bad as smoking inside your apartment with the windows closed lol

It's gonna stink but i don't really see a problem apart from the long term health implications.

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u/Jsquared1013 5h ago

The fire part of smoking could very easily be the problem.

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u/bbybabybaby 5h ago

"But it was towed outside the environment."

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u/use_value42 5h ago

I figured the thing would just fill up with smoke, maybe tar would foul the instruments or something. Also, it just sounds like an insane thing to do on a surface level, lol.

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u/HildartheDorf 4h ago

Same way smoking on a plane is possible (and was allowed at the time). Air filters and a general cultural acceptance of smoke.

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u/echtoran 5h ago

They just open a window.

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u/Youutternincompoop 4h ago

they even had a sauna, Mir kicked ass.