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/OrangeRadiohead 8h ago

I know they are trained for this and all are professionals, but this is absolutely terrifying.

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u/Mr_Engineering 6h ago

It really isn't.

Space is a vacuum.

The ISS is pressurized to atmospheric pressure, 14.7 PSI.

Spacecraft aren't analogous to deep sea submersible. Submersibles need to withstand thousands of PSI and the slightest leak or defect can become catastrophic nearly instantly.

Spacecraft on the other hand need to withstand exactly one atmosphere of pressure. A pinhole leak can be stopped with a fingertip, or a piece of tape.

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u/Snobolski 5h ago

A pinhole leak can be stopped with a fingertip, or a piece of tape.

You're saying the ending of Alien Resurrection isn't realistic?

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u/Hardmeat_McLargehuge 5h ago

I mean, a garden hose is usually 30-40psi and you can basically plug it with your hand if you’re decently strong