Atmosphere
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There are several different types of atmospheres to consider.
- Lunar atmosphere[1]
- Earth's atmosphere[2]
- Atmospheric pressure on Earth[3]
- Cabin Pressurization[4][5]
The most important for Lunar development is the pressure inside your space suit or habitat. Here is a listing of the relative pressures of other environments and the percentage oxygen in each.
| Location | Oxygen Percentage | Pressure |
| Earth at Sea Level | (21%) | 101.3 kPa |
| Leadville Colorado, 10K altitude | () | 10.1 psi |
| Denver Colorado | () | 12.1 psi |
| LaPaz | () | 9 psi |
| Mercury Program | (100%) | 34.5 kPa |
| Geminii Program | (100%) | 34.5 kPa |
| Apollo Program | (100%) | 34.5 kPa |
| Skylab | (70%) | 34.5kPa |
| Space Shuttle | (28.5%) | 70.0 kPa |
Hazards: Lack of Breathable Atmosphere and Improper Pressure
Under most circumstances, if you don't get enough oxygen pressure you will get altitude sickness[7], aka Hypoxia.
In the extreme case of a severe leak in space, you have to consider what the Death Zone does to climbers on Everest [8].
Most desirable for long term habitats in space is somewhere around 40kPa total with about 60% oxygen. In the event of an sudden depressurization this ratio means you do not have a hard transition to switch to your backup breathing systems. The rest is Nitrogen, water vapor and trace amounts of CO2 which can be isolated quite easily.
| Hazards |
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