Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

ZZ9ZA t1_jdykvrt wrote

Reply to comment by RoomyPockets in If there was a hole in the ISS, would everyone get sucked out like in Sci-Fi movies? by hobbitlover

How hard would it be to block, say, a dime sized hole, at least partially? Would something like a sheet of (coated) paper at least but you a few minutes?

3

MasterPatricko t1_jdyne1i wrote

Quite easy. Atmospheric pressure = 14psi (pounds per square inch) = 100000 Pascal = 10 Newtons / centimeter^2.

The total force acting over a dime-sized hole is about 10 Newtons or the equivalent weight of a ~2-pound object on earth. Paper or thin card might tear but a piece of strong multilayer corrugated cardboard should be fine. Might need to give it some help sealing (glue or something) too.

1

ZZ9ZA t1_jdyxws8 wrote

It’s more the seal I’m thinking of… like, if it starts to bow out, then it starts getting either squeezed through the hole or something.

1