Everyone knows that there’s no problem that a good roll of duct tape can’t fix. Chances are, though, you probably weren’t imagining its practical application outside our own atmosphere.
According to NASA, the International Space Station was suffering a leak that was causing a reduction of air pressure—nothing major, but, y’know, air is kind of a necessity so that’s not the kind of thing you just leave laying around until someone finally bitches at you to get it done.
The Expedition 56 crew spotted a little leak in the upper orbital section of the Soyuz MS-09 craft, part of the Russian operation. It was only about two millimeters, but that could get real spooky real fast.
So, Mission Control in Houston and Moscow guided the crew to repair the hole. Their solution? Wipe some epoxy over the hole to plug it up and slap a little duct tape over top of it.
You thought your race car bumper duct tape repair was smooth as hell? Think again, bub.
It’s almost a little humbling to realize that astronauts are, y’know, actual human beings who all default to the tried and true solutions to relatively simple problems. I think we can all get caught up in the mystique of space—but that doesn’t mean putting together the ISS old-school style isn’t freakin’ neat.
The great news is that cabin pressure is stable again, and there hasn’t been any recorded change since the repair. Can I get a hell yeah for duct tape and epoxy?