This working environment is harsher than on the space station, humans can only stay up to 90 days

The human body has evolved over time, but always under the influence of gravity and on the ground. We are not fit to live in confined spaces and microgravity environments like those of the space station.

However, the most powerful thing about humans is the ability to be very adaptable. We can adapt our bodies to new environments in a very short amount of time, that's why humans are distributed across the globe.

Cosmonaut Valeri Vladimirovich Polyakov, who holds the record for time spent in space.

In space, humans are also constantly breaking physical and psychological limits. The current record for human life time in the space station is 437 days and 18 hours, held by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Vladimirovich Polyakov. The record was completed by him between 1995 and 1995.

However, there is a place even more extreme than the space station in space, where humans in normal situations can only work for a maximum of 90 days. That is inside the nuclear submarines operating on the seabed. Obviously, compared to the space station, this environment still maintains gravity, so why is it difficult for people to work there for long?

A nuclear submarine in the harbor.

Submarines have very little living space

In general, nuclear submarines are required to operate underwater for long periods of time. And diesel-powered submarines will basically have to come to the surface to replenish oxygen in a very short period of time.

The same is true of any submarine, as they are not designed to be too large. The largest nuclear submarine in the world at the moment is a Russian submarine named "Dmitry Donskoy". It has an amazing length of 175m and a width of 25m. It should be known that conventional submarines are only 60 meters to 90 meters long.

USS Ohio nuclear submarine of the US Navy.

The purpose of existence of nuclear submarines is not to survey the underwater environment, but to fight and fight. Therefore, most of the space inside is used to store weapons and equipment for underwater combat. Therefore, the space for people to live inside it is very limited.

The circled part is the crew compartment and the nuclear reactor area

Even if the space left for the crew is very limited, due to the operational needs of nuclear submarines, each mission requires at least dozens of participants. Imagine tanks always needing 3-4 people to work together.

Small living space, having to share with many people is one of the reasons why life on a submarine is so difficult.

For comparison, on the space station, astronauts' beds are often equipped with a "window", so that when they rest they can look down at the earth. This is important, as it can alleviate feelings of depression brought on by limited space.

View from the window of the International Space Station ISS.

However, there is no such thing on submarines, as there are no windows either. In fact, having a window is useless, because sunlight can only penetrate to a depth of about 200 meters, while the operating depth of a nuclear submarine will fall between 675 meters and 900 meters below the surface. .

So, it is not surprising that nuclear submarines operating under the sea have no concept of day or night. In fact, for most crew members, they implement a unique pattern of living and working. It is a 3x6 cycle, which means that for every 18 hours, there will be 6 hours of work, 6 hours of rest (sleep) and 6 hours of idle.

And as mentioned earlier, that submarines have very limited living space, so everyone will take turns working and resting through the above model to avoid having too many people gather in some areas. certain area.

Narrow bed on a submarine.

Taking the bed as an example, there certainly won't be dozens of people who all have their own beds. And after you have just rested for about 6 hours, the next group of people will come to wake you up and sleep right in the bed you just slept in. In other words, the beds on the submarine are shared.

So it's clear that submarine crews don't have any personal space, and that's part of the hard part.

The narrow living space has a great influence on the human psyche.

What is the environment like on a submarine?

The cramped living space means that the air in the submarine will become stuffy and smelly.

Although the entire submarine has air-cooled facilities, the overall temperature inside the vessel will still reach between 30 and 35 degrees Celsius. So the crew not only live in a small space, but also have to work. work in high temperature.

It is believed that the most spacious place on a submarine is the dining room, so many crew members will gather there. But this is also the area with the highest temperatures, with maximum temperatures that can even exceed 38 degrees Celsius.

Working environment with high temperature also affects human psychology.

Even when it's hot, the water supply is very limited. And basically the water is only used for drinking and cooking, so bathing on the submarine is a luxury.

Imagine what it was like to smell in the air in a tight space where dozens of tall men rarely showered and were constantly sweating. There are currently no female crew members on submarines in the world for privacy reasons.

In fact, the smell of the air is difficult for people to perceive, because our brain easily filters out signals it considers useless - including olfactory signals.

Washing machine and sink on the submarine.

However, the air on the submarine has another characteristic, that is, its oxygen content is quite low, only about 18%. This percentage is much lower than the oxygen content on land, about 21%.

According to some veterans who have served on submarines, setting such a low oxygen level is basically to reduce the risk of fire and explosion. Because things are harder to ignite in low-oxygen environments.

Wounds take longer to heal in a low-oxygen environment.

But it causes a lot of inconvenience to the people living in it. Because in addition to shortness of breath, or dizziness and feeling tired, the most important thing is that low oxygen makes it difficult for the body to heal when injured.

Of course, under normal conditions, it is very rare to have a fatal accident on a submarine. So this may not have much of an effect.

However, low oxygen levels are also difficult to calm people, and with cramped living spaces, almost all crew members appear angry and irritable at all times.

One shift in a submarine.

Obviously, living in this environment is not easy. Meanwhile, their lives are also very busy. Not only eating, sleeping and steering the ship, the crew also have to participate in intense learning missions, to ensure that all understand the operation of the ship during the course of the mission.

Also, since one of the characteristics of submarines is stealth, any signal can reveal their location. Therefore, the crew was completely forbidden to establish contact with the outside world. Of course, today's technology can allow them to write emails to communicate with family members. However, it is related to news security and communications can be controlled, so sending and receiving information is very limited for the most part.

All of the above has made life on a submarine so difficult and challenging that even a well-trained person cannot live too long on it.

The crew is completely forbidden to establish contact with the outside world.

It can be said that, whether on a space station or in a nuclear submarine, those living and working on it are facing challenges that are not easy. One side contributes to the progress of mankind, the other protects security and peace. All are worthy of respect and admiration.