Do pressurized modules next to each other always stay open, or do the resident astronauts glide through a module, open the hatch, go through, close the hatch, and then glide through the next module, until they reach their destination? Or do they just go between modules without needing to open/close hatches as they travel?
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asked Mar 6 at 17:05
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1$\begingroup$ BEAM's Node 3 hatch stays closed, not sure if that's true for any other modules. Some hatches are also closed during EVAs $\endgroup$– DakotaCommented Mar 6 at 17:09
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$\begingroup$ US airlock inner hatch is closed during EVA, open otherwise space.stackexchange.com/q/18176/6944 $\endgroup$– Organic MarbleCommented Mar 6 at 17:18
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$\begingroup$ @Dakota - I'm sure it's what you meant but just to add some detail the BEAM module is used for storage so the astronauts do go in and out of it occasionally for that reason, and also to do sensor checks. But when they are done the hatch is closed again. $\endgroup$– Steve PembertonCommented Mar 6 at 17:21
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3$\begingroup$ Whenever they have a leak, they always mention that they're adding a requirement to keep the doors around the leaky section closed (unless passing through) until it's fixed, which means they must normally keep the doors open unless something calls for them to be closed. $\endgroup$– Darth PseudonymCommented Mar 6 at 17:34
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2$\begingroup$ Yes, I believe it's a precaution in case the leak rips open into something more dangerous, I'm just saying the fact that they make a special instruction to keep the doors shut in that case means they must not be shut under normal circumstances. The exception proves the rule. $\endgroup$– Darth PseudonymCommented Mar 6 at 19:02
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The nominal configuration of pressurized module hatches on the ISS is open, with the exception of BEAM (Bigelow Expandable Activity Module) which has its hatch nominally closed.
The USOS crew sleeps in NOD2, has their bathroom in NOD3, eats in NOD1, and usually has scheduled tasks ranging from the JEM to COL to the US LAB throughout the day. Opening and closing the hatches every time they entered a new module would take a prohibitive amount of time.
This example of an approved drag-through configuration provides another example of why hatches remain nominally open. Otherwise all those connections would need to be demated every time a crew member closed a hatch.
Also, ISS flight rules require that a crew member is never separated from their Soyuz (and now Dragon) by a hatch closure.
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2$\begingroup$ Does "drag-through" mean "cables and hoses going through hatches"? $\endgroup$– ikraseCommented Mar 7 at 4:48
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1$\begingroup$ @ikrase Yes, that's exactly what it means. $\endgroup$– DoresoomCommented Mar 7 at 5:16
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1$\begingroup$ @Hans great catch! NOD1 zenith hatch is nominally closed and blocked by stowage. Here's a view of it from 2017 when we had the crew take Google Maps Streetview images (look up): google.com/maps/space/iss/… $\endgroup$– DoresoomCommented Mar 7 at 14:55
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1$\begingroup$ Doresoom - although perhaps normally blocked by stowage I think the small space inside the CBM connected to the Z1 hatch can also be used for storage? $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 7 at 15:08