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From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: net.sci,net.space
Subject: Re: Re: Would a candle burn ...
Message-ID: <5851@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 1-Aug-85 12:50:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: utzoo.5851
Posted: Thu Aug  1 12:50:47 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 1-Aug-85 12:50:47 EDT
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Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 12

Actually, I believe if you check you will find that while Mercury, Gemini,
and Apollo used pure oxygen, Skylab did not and the Shuttle does not.
They do run at somewhat lower pressure than Earth surface, so the mix is
oxygen-rich relative to normal air, but there is a fair bit of nitrogen
in it.  This is why Shuttle astronauts going outside spend a long time
pre-breathing pure oxygen (long enough that it's starting to be a serious
nuisance):  the space suits use pure oxygen at the lowest possible pressure,
and the astronauts have to flush the nitrogen out of their bodies before
they decompress to suit pressure.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry