How Do Astronauts Breathe on the International Space Station? The Clever Way the ISS Makes Oxygen

It’s one of those questions I have never considered asking, but now I come to think of it, I really want an answer! How is it that astronauts don’t run out of air on the International Space Station?  In the early days of spaceflight, oxygen was stored in tanks, but the flights were short(ish) and so enough could be carried along with the craft to ensure the astronauts didn’t suffocate on their way there and back..  Yet if you are on the ISS, there is a limit to the amount of oxygen tanks you can bring along with you.  The Apollo 11 Mission, which took three astronauts to the moon, and took seven days, had 50kg of oxygen (which was plenty).  However, six to eight months in space with seven crewmates – that would be way too costly.

So, enter electrolysis and a system called MOGA (and that doesn’t stand for Make Oman Grest Again).   That’s about as much as I will see as this fantastic lesson by Ted-Ed covers the rest extremely well (I understood it, so that means it’s pretty accessible!).  Alvaro Romero-Calvo and Theo St Francis investigate – and do a great job.  However, I was particularly drawn to the animations (see what I did there?) and they are uncredited – as far as I can see – but thank you to them too!