Work Breakdown Structufor SCSC

> Quick question
>
> 14 PSI is sea level air pressure on earth if I remember correctly. I
> remember reading that space suits either are or could be pressurized to
> 3 PSI using a nearly pure oxygen mixture.

Yes, that is correct.

> The question is would it be
> worth the risk to have 3 PSI oxygen or standard 14 PSI air mixture.

My understanding is that you would be better off with the 14 PSI
mixture, or a few pounds less.

IRC the problem with pure 3 PSI oxygen is that it is slightly toxic to
the lungs over the long term- it's used for space suits because it
allows the suit to be much more flexible, and the toxicity is low enough
that it's unlikely to be a problem for normal lengths of EVA; but I
don't think you'd want to live in it permanently.

> Another bonus to having a
> lower PSI approach is if by some off chance your dome was punctured your
> air would seep out instead of blow out.

As we have seen with MIR and recently the ISS, it's not nearly that bad
unless there is a serious structural failure.

> Someone correct me if my physics
> are off. =] The only downside that I can think of would be the rather
> extreme fire risk that near pure oxygen imposes. Which of these
> approaches would you use in your geodesic dome of much glass?

Also, note that 3 PSI oxygen does give only slightly more flammability
than normal air. The inert nitrogen gas would normally conduct away heat
and hence- things do in fact burn somewhat more readily in a pure 3 psi
O2 atmosphere but not massively so.