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Q:

Do astronauts breathe in the same air we have on earth (nitrogen and oxygen) or pure oxygen while in space?

A:

The International Space Station has the exact same composition of oxygen and nitrogen as we have here in Earth's atmosphere. However, the space suits have a different pressure in them, so the astronaut can't have any nitorgen in his system when inside, or he will get the bends! This is why the astronaut has to breathe in pure oxygen during the hours leading up to a spacewalk.

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