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New Sensor Finds Leaks in Spacecraft
Roland Piquepaille writes "With financial support from NASA, Iowa State University (ISU) engineers have developed a sensor to quickly find leaks in a spacecraft. This sensor locates an air leak by listening to the noise generated by the air rushing out of the leak and includes an array of 64 elements that detects vibrations as they radiate along the spacecraft. Because astronauts cannot hear the noise caused by escaping air, NASA needed to design a system to help them. As one ISU researcher said, 'NASA wants to be able to find these leaks. Fixing them is easy. But the question is, "Where is the leak?"' Now that this sensor has successfully been tested on the ground, NASA is evaluating a proposal to build a prototype of the leak detection system for future missions.
Because in vacuum water boils and bubbles all on its own.
Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
"Our oxygen levels are way too low, what's going on, do we have a leak?" "Chill out guys, I'm just burning some incense, my spirit guide said we'll make it to the moon without oxygen anyway using the power of our minds." Sorry, I just thought the irony of burning oxygen to find an air leak intensely ironic.