Ask anything.
How do astronauts breathe in space?
Astronauts breathe thanks to special oxygen systems carried on their spacecraft and in their spacesuits.
There is no air in space, so astronauts have to bring their own air with them. Inside the space station, machines make oxygen all the time and keep the air clean. These machines clean the carbon dioxide out of the air the astronauts breathe out, and they split water apart to make new oxygen.
When astronauts go outside the space station for a spacewalk, they wear a special spacesuit. This suit has oxygen tanks on its back, and it keeps refreshing the air inside the suit. The suit also protects the astronaut from cold, heat, and harmful rays.
The air inside the space station is a mix of oxygen and nitrogen, just like on Earth. This means astronauts can breathe normally inside and move around comfortably, almost like they are at home.
Quick facts
- There is no air in space, so astronauts carry oxygen with them.
- Machines on the space station clean out carbon dioxide and make new oxygen.
- The special suit worn on a spacewalk has oxygen tanks on its back.
- The air inside the space station is a mix of oxygen and nitrogen, just like on Earth.
- Special machines split water apart to turn it into oxygen.
Check what you remember
3 questions — all of them come from the quick facts above. There is no score and no wrong turn.
1. How do astronauts get oxygen in space?
2. Where are the oxygen tanks on a spacewalk suit?
3. What do the machines on the space station clean?
Where this comes from
ReKid™ is not just a search
- The answer to the question is checked for accuracy before it is shown
- An age-appropriate explanation of the topic, written to be read
- A set of short facts about the topic
- A set of short facts on subjects connected to the topic
- A short quiz built from the topic, the facts and the connected facts
- Up to five safe recommended links about the topic
- PDF export, and every topic searched is kept
- Everything from earlier keys carries over to a new key, complete
- No advertising
- No tracking
- A knowledge support set that needs no personal account