Removing Vacuum helmet in Laithe After an atmospheric analysis

[juvilado]

Hi, i don´t know if this has already been suggested, but for adding some flavor to the game, and if the game developpers considere Laithe atmosphere is breathable, after having runned an atm analysis with the appropiate device, Kerbals could remove the vacuun helmet or entire suit. For future life preservation implements, i supose Laithe will be an oxigen source, so why not start with some details like this?

[stibbons]

I haven't personally visited Laythe, but according to its wiki entry its atmosphere isn't safe for kerbals.

[Feradose]

They wear their suits even in kerbin, I guess the astronauts ones are born with them

[Whirligig Girl]

They wear their suits even in kerbin, I guess the astronauts ones are born with them

The Kerbal short animations and also logic disagree with that. Gene, Wernher, Mortimer, Gus, and Linus, and all the engineer/scientist/ground-crew Kerbals in the VAB/SPH are not wearing space suits. Neither is Walt, but he's wearing a hazmat suit for some reason.

The only reason Kerbal Astronauts wear their suit on Kerbin is because they're already suited up. Crew report from Kerbin: "Was a space suit really necessary to get here?" or in the deserts "You're glad you're in this climate-controlled environment..."

[Octa]

The Kerbal short animations and also logic disagree with that. Gene, Wernher, Mortimer, Gus, and Linus, and all the engineer/scientist/ground-crew Kerbals in the VAB/SPH are not wearing space suits. Neither is Walt, but he's wearing a hazmat suit for some reason.

One Kerbal even takes off his helmet on the mun in the recovered mun footage video. We never see what happens after

Wiki says Laythes atmosphere is 20% thinner and that "the air-intake efficiency is lower there".

Wikipedia Research:

Climbers usually use oxygen at about 7500m height, air pressure there is somewhere between 35% and 40% of sea level pressure. 20% pressure is reached between 10km (27%) and 17,9km (10%).

Maybe a much lighter suit could handle that? Assuming Kerbals behave similar to humans.

[m4v]

they would need to remove their helmets in kerbin first, and Laythe's atmosphere is most likely not breathable, just because a jet engine can breath it doesn't mean you should.

[Vectura]

It be some bizarre mix of oxygen and bromine or something, that certainly shouldn't be breathed.

[Capt Snuggler]

I like to imagine it has a very high concentration of CO2. So, yes, there is O2 for jets BUT the high CO2 will poison a Kerbal.

[Majorjim!]

Squad really needs to add a remove helmet option.

If they do it in space or a harmful atmosphere they can go 'poof'.

[John FX]

Squad really needs to add a remove helmet option.

If they do it in space or a harmful atmosphere they can go 'poof'.

I'd like them to roll on the floor (if on the ground), eyes bulging as they claw at their throats for a bit (like total recall) so you have a little time to put your helmet back on if you like.

[Majorjim!]

I'd like them to roll on the floor (if on the ground), eyes bulging as they claw at their throats for a bit (like total recall) so you have a little time to put your helmet back on if you like.

Fun idea but waaay too violent. There should be no warning, simply an option to remove. You will learn quickly that Kerbals cannot survive in a vacuum.

[Panzerbeard]

Squad really needs to add a remove helmet option.

Bit of a long shot, but maybe that's the mystery feature Harv mentioned? It's something that probably wouldn't take long to implement, after all, the models and animations for kerbals sans-helmet are all functional anyway.

[m4v]

Bit of a long shot, but maybe that's the mystery feature Harv mentioned? It's something that probably wouldn't take long to implement, after all, the models and animations for kerbals sans-helmet are all functional anyway.

But is not useful for new players.

[Panzerbeard]

But is not useful for new players.

It's not really "useful" for anyone, really, it's just a flavor thing.

[Brotoro]

Laythe's atmosphere could have a breathable fraction of oxygen and still be unbreathable. If the main constituent of the atmosphere was CO₂ (which would help in keeping it as warm as it is), then it would certainly be deadly to humans, if not kerbals (we don't know what the atmosphere of Kerbin is made of). If you fancy the explanation that Laythe's seas have a lot of ammonia in them, the the atmosphere could have gagging-levels of ammonia gas in it while still having enough oxygen for your jet engines to operate.

[Moon Goddess]

Laythe is as cold as Antarctica at the equator... why would you take your helmet off!!!

[GluttonyReaper]

Fun idea but waaay too violent. There should be no warning, simply an option to remove. You will learn quickly that Kerbals cannot survive in a vacuum.

Yeah, I'd rather for them to just kinda *poof*, as they do, and for the helmet to just float off into space.

[Capt Snuggler]

Laythe is as cold as Antarctica at the equator... why would you take your helmet off!!!

strange there is no ice or frost.

[Whirligig Girl]

One Kerbal even takes off his helmet on the mun in the recovered mun footage video. We never see what happens after

Wiki says Laythes atmosphere is 20% thinner and that "the air-intake efficiency is lower there".

Wikipedia Research:

Climbers usually use oxygen at about 7500m height, air pressure there is somewhere between 35% and 40% of sea level pressure. 20% pressure is reached between 10km (27%) and 17,9km (10%).

Maybe a much lighter suit could handle that? Assuming Kerbals behave similar to humans.

20% thinner means 80% as thick. Humans can survive 35-40 with an atmosphere suit, but can survive just fine with 80% oxygen. Kerbals would as well.

Personally, I would be perfectly fine with helmets staying on.

[Armchair Rocket Scientist]

Fun idea but waaay too violent. There should be no warning, simply an option to remove. You will learn quickly that Kerbals cannot survive in a vacuum.

Actually, you can survive vacuum exposure for over a minute, and remain conscious for around 10 seconds, assuming you don't try to hold your breath - if you do, the pressure differential will almost certainly cause fatal lung trauma - fortunately an astronaut would probably be trained to empty his/her lungs in the event of a decompression. This means that if a Kerbal removed his/her helmet, he/she would have about 10 seconds to put it back on (although it would take time for the suit to repressurize, meaning loss of consciousness is inevitable) and another Kerbal would have a window of 30-60 seconds. This is assuming kerbals have mammal-like metabolism; if they have a slower metabolic rate, they might survive hypoxia for longer periods.

Source:

http://www.geoffreylandis.com/vacuum.html

Anyway, it seems like a silly thing to add to gameplay. At best, only give Kerbals the option to remove their helmets on Kerbin with pressure over 0.50 atm.

[pandaman]

They wear their suits even in kerbin, I guess the astronauts ones are born with them

Wow! Those lady Kerbals are tough!!