Posted: 1/9/2017 10:25:13 PM EDT
| Would a suction cup work in the vacuum of space? I'm watching the last man on the moon, and on one of the first spacewalks, he didn't have any handholds or straps, so he just flailed around. This led me to think if hand held suction cups would have worked to hold onto the capsule |
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Nope.
Suction cups rely on atmospheric pressure to function. When you push the suction cup down, you create a vacuum, and air pressure keeps it stuck, unless there's a leak or non-pliable material, etc. In space, vacuum on both sides of something won't hold to anything. Brave men going out there, literally not knowing what would/wouldn't work, just best guesses and some alternatives. |
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Does the Velcro have magnets? Duct tape?  Quoted:
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Do the suction cups also have magnets? A few magnets and a roll of duct tape can solve most problems. Does the Velcro have magnets? Duct tape? 
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Does the Velcro have magnets? Duct tape? Quoted:
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Do the suction cups also have magnets? A few magnets and a roll of duct tape can solve most problems. Does the Velcro have magnets? Duct tape? So you guys are saying that if you're going to get launched into space, you should bring a magnetic, velcro lined suction cup with duct tape on it? Or more than one? |
What if you had a suction cup attached to a magnetic ball bearing, attached to another suction cup?
 Flying Horse - Gatorrada (Cat-Toast) |
| No, they don't even work that well at high elevations. Let's see what google finds... Suction cups in space video |
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You just blow a puff of air into the cup, then apply it to the surface. That gives you all the gas you need for a vacuum differential. http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5852/2514/1600/elbonia.2.jpg 
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You might need those special magnets that work with aluminum or titanium, send one of the NASA interns down to Home Depot to pick some up. |
Answer is obviously No. 
The reason suction cups work is the positive pressure from the atmosphere pressing down onto it with the negative (less than atmosphere) pressure on the inside of the cup. A negative and negative pressure would render the suction cup useless. Velcro, or magnets (would need something magnetic on the hull of the craft; as they're usually made out of Aluminum) would work I'd think... Although they usually use the thruster packs or the CanadArm to do shit outside. |