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>All this talk of N2 and narcosis.
>
>Have any hypobaric studies been done (breathing pure O2 at 0.21 bar) to see if
>our IQ - or whatever parameter of brain function you choose :) - IMPROVES
in the
>ABSENCE of any N2 in our inspired air?
>
>This is not quite the same as breathing normobaric 100% O2 as the extra O2 may
>give confounding effects.
Ask any American astro-nut, prior to the space shuttle. Pre-shuttle
american spacecraft were pressurized with pure O2 at 1/3 bar, the reasons being:
- the spacecraft shell could be much more thinner than with air at 1 bar
(the LEM airtight hull was only twice as thick as household aluminium foil),
so the launch vehicle could be conveniently smaller (I know it sounds
strange when one looks at the Saturn V rocket, but the Russians needed two
rockets to send their own LEM to the moon - yes, they did built some LEMs);
- the astronauts could step into their spacesuits and perform EVAs without
pre-breathing oxygen;
- in case of sudden cabin depressurization, the astronauts were not likely
to develop bends (on most pre-apollo flights, they wore their spacesuits at
any time. Close calls were simply answered by shutting down the faceplate).
NASA should have plenty of data about this.
---========================================================---
Handy pocket Whitehouse internet directory
Bill Clinton: President@Wh*.go*
Al Gore: VicePresident@Wh*.go*
Hillary Clinton: Root@wh*.go*
Socks the Cat UUCP@wh*.go*
---========================================================---
Marc Dufour, alias mdufour@ca*.or* depuis 1994
[\] ACUC 6 31874 http://WWW.CAM.ORG/~mdufour
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