airlock
Dual-door compartment
An airlock is a chamber with two airtight doors that allows passage between environments at different pressures—typically between a pressurized spacecraft or submarine and the vacuum or water outside.
Only one door opens at a time, preserving the pressure differential.
The term extends to any trapped air bubble that blocks flow through a pipe or tube: There's an airlock in the fuel line.
Opening in deck or floor
- decompressionReduction of pressure
- vacuumAbsence of matter
- spacesuitPressurized garment for vacuum
- astronautSpacecraft crew member
spacewalk · EVA · module · docking · capsule · pressure · habitat · cosmonaut
Entry room before main
- vestibuleEnclosed space between doors
- compartmentEnclosed subdivision of space
- transitionChange from one state
- thresholdPoint of beginning
bulkhead · hatch · passageway · containment · portal · gateway · access · hermetic
Mechanical leak preventer
- hermeticImpenetrably closed off
- watertightPrevents liquid from passing
- o-ringToroidal sealing element
- leakproofImpervious to seepage
impermeable · rubber · flange · integrity · breach · failure · door seal · pneumatic
Outer covering or frame
- divingEntering water deliberately
- submergePlunge beneath liquid
- depthDistance below surface
- pressureForce upon contact
underwater · escape hatch · ballast · watertight · compartment · flooding · emergency · torpedo tube
Isolation preventing disease transmission
- isolationComplete separation from others
- decontaminationRemoving dangerous substances
- biohazardDangerous living organism risk
- containmentPreventing hostile expansion
sterilization · cleanroom · biosafety · gowning · controlled environment · negative pressure · positive pressure · particulate
hatch
Opening in deck or floor
- decompressionReduction of pressure
- vacuumAbsence of matter
- spacesuitPressurized garment for vacuum
astronaut · spacewalk · EVA · module · docking · capsule · pressure · habitat · cosmonaut · extravehicular
antechamber
Entry room before main
- vestibuleEnclosed space between doors
- compartmentEnclosed subdivision of space
- transitionChange from one state
threshold · bulkhead · hatch · passageway · containment · portal · gateway · access · hermetic · sealed
gasket
Mechanical leak preventer
- hermeticImpenetrably closed off
- watertightPrevents liquid from passing
- o-ringToroidal sealing element
leakproof · impermeable · rubber · flange · integrity · breach · failure · door seal · pneumatic
hull
Outer covering or frame
pressure · underwater · escape hatch · ballast · watertight · compartment · flooding · emergency · torpedo tube · conning tower
quarantine
Isolation preventing disease transmission
- isolationComplete separation from others
- decontaminationRemoving dangerous substances
- biohazardDangerous living organism risk
containment · sterilization · cleanroom · biosafety · gowning · controlled environment · negative pressure · positive pressure · particulate · sterile
- space structuresspace station, satellite, space telescope, space habitat, space dock
- spaceportdocking bay, hangar, landing pad, shuttle bay, berth
- aerospaceairplane, helicopter, rocket, rockets, spacecraft
- space travelspaceship, starship, spacecraft, astronaut, rocket
- spaceflightlaunch, astronaut, spacecraft, liftoff, orbit
- Sci-Fi Settingsspace station, spaceship, starship, alien planet, moon base