How do astronauts breathe in space?

Astronauts use special glasses to breathe in space, just like you might wear glasses to see better, but these help them take in air and keep it inside their helmet.

How the Special Glasses Work

Inside the astronaut’s helmet is a little machine that acts like a lungs helper. When they breathe in, this machine takes in air from outside the helmet, kind of like how you might breathe in through a straw to get water into your mouth.

When they breathe out, the machine catches the air and helps it go back out, but not all of it, some stays inside so there’s always fresh air for them to breathe again. It's like when you blow up a balloon, and then let just a little bit of air out each time, that way, the balloon doesn’t pop too fast.

Why This Works in Space

In space, there’s no air around astronauts, so they can't just breathe normally like on Earth. Their special glasses help them take in air from the spaceship or from outside the helmet when they're doing spacewalks, it's like having a mini air machine right next to their face! Astronauts use special glasses to breathe in space, just like you might wear glasses to see better, but these help them take in air and keep it inside their helmet.

How the Special Glasses Work

Inside the astronaut’s helmet is a little machine that acts like a lungs helper. When they breathe in, this machine takes in air from outside the helmet, kind of like how you might breathe in through a straw to get water into your mouth.

When they breathe out, the machine catches the air and helps it go back out, but not all of it, some stays inside so there’s always fresh air for them to breathe again. It's like when you blow up a balloon, and then let just a little bit of air out each time, that way, the balloon doesn’t pop too fast.

Take the quiz →

Examples

  1. An astronaut breathes from a mask connected to oxygen tanks inside the spaceship.
  2. Astronauts use air from the spacecraft's life support system to breathe.
  3. In space, astronauts rely on oxygen stored in their helmet for breathing.

Ask a question

See also

Discussion

Recent activity