How do you fix leaks in space?

[farmerben]

Passing through a meteor shower your ship takes several holes in the hull, some too small to see.  What is the best way to fix it?  Do spray on products like polyurethane, etc work in vacuum?

[Scotius]

"Meteor shower" usually means "1 grain of sand and two grains of dust in every 100 cubed kilometers of otherwise empty space."

You would have to be very unlucky to encounter anything.

But if you did, there are two most likely outcomes:

You spaceship was ripped open like a can of tuna. Everyone die.

There is a small hole leaking air. Slap a piece of duct tape on it to stop the leak. Then gather supplies for permanent fix.

[kerbiloid]

Cigarettes to find, duct tape to fix.

[mikegarrison]

1 hour ago, farmerben said:

Passing through a meteor shower your ship takes several holes in the hull, some too small to see.  What is the best way to fix it?  Do spray on products like polyurethane, etc work in vacuum?

Big hole? You are F'd.

Small leak? Find the leak via sound or flow vis and slap a patch onto it.

[farmerben]

Is there any way to paint the outer hull with polymers?

 

[wumpus]

Prevention: use mylar/Al foil as a screen.  Dust particles hit the screen and explode, hopefully into pieces too small to bother the craft.  As far as I know, this is already in use.  And I'm not sure any craft has ever needed evasive action while going through the asteroid belt (early ones couldn't perform any).

If you need assistance finding the leak (presumably by sound), duct tape will work fine.  And you probably have the aero-grade tape on board, which should be even more effective.  Air pressure will hold it in place, but I'm sure somebody will want a "permanent fix".  Said fix will likely lose more air (assuming you remove the patch) than the patch would ever leak out.  Also removing the patch may be difficult.

It is unfortunate that the only steel hulls I've heard of in space are all stainless steel.  Otherwise I'd recommend using a magnet as a short term patch.

[mikegarrison]

31 minutes ago, wumpus said:

 I'm not sure any craft has ever needed evasive action while going through the asteroid belt (early ones couldn't perform any).

The "asteroid belt" is a huge volume of empty space with only slightly more rocks in it than any other volume of empty space.

[tater]

 

[wumpus]

1 hour ago, mikegarrison said:

The "asteroid belt" is a huge volume of empty space with only slightly more rocks in it than any other volume of empty space.

Slightly more in the absolute scale.  Hugely more on the relative scale.  Which strongly implies that all spacecraft/satellite/whatever damage comes from man-made items whizzing around space.

[kerbiloid]

7 hours ago, farmerben said:

Is there any way to paint the outer hull with polymers?

The outer holl is covered with insulation, either as panels, or as blanket.

[RuBisCO]

Radiators? How would holes in radiators in space be plugged? 

[StrandedonEarth]

1 hour ago, RuBisCO said:

Radiators? How would holes in radiators in space be plugged? 

Always worked for me...

Your mileage may vary....

 

Edited September 11, 2022 by StrandedonEarth

[kerbiloid]

4 hours ago, RuBisCO said:

Radiators? How would holes in radiators in space be plugged? 

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

[RuBisCO]

I do like the idea, my dudes, of putting something in the coolant (ammonia?) that will clog and seal small holes.

[kerbiloid]

Ammonia is just a heat capacitor, it doesn't cool itself.

[magnemoe]

11 hours ago, StrandedonEarth said:

Always worked for me...

Your mileage may vary....

How does that work? I have used it but wonder on how it works its wonders. It can not be air it react to as its air in the top of the radiator.
In space the hole will be out into vacuum who might make it easier to find.

[StrandedonEarth]

3 minutes ago, magnemoe said:

How does that work? I have used it but wonder on how it works its wonders. It can not be air it react to as its air in the top of the radiator.
In space the hole will be out into vacuum who might make it easier to find.

I believe that the particles in the hot coolant get sucked toward the hole and gum it up.