VaccSuit: decontamination procedures?

[Maladominus]

I was wondering...

So I'm writing up a future scenario for my campaign. (Yes, I love writing up my own mini scenarios!). Anyways, part of the scenario presumes that some kind of contaminant would be extremely deadly, possibly airborne. It also could "stick" to human skin or the surface areas of Vacc Suits. Just what the heck this contaminant is, I have yet to decide. Maybe it could be microbe, or maybe something else.

So now. How do Travellers deal with such risks? What the hell do they do to decontaminate their Vacc Suits from all the various "ickies" that could come from the depths of space?

Has decontamination ever been discussed or described in Traveller canon? Do all airlocks have some kind of mechanism to decontaminate the suits? What if the contaminant can survive vaccuum and freezing temperatures? What if the contaminant is NOT an organism, but rather a destructive/corrosive chemical process like rust?

 

[Fritz_Brown]

First, rust is not a contaminant. It is an adhesive necessary to the solid construction of many spacecraft (particularly some Type S's).

Second, getting naked with a really hot Vulcan in the airlock ought to do the trick. (And, it would evidently work better than the so-called "filters" on any sort of matter transporter! )

Seriously, if you're on a planet, I would extend a decon "tent" from the airlock. It would have chemical scrubs for the environmental suit, followed by extreme UV/IR bath, followed by a place to change out of your suit into ship clothes. Not every ship has one, but any ship going to strange places should certainly invest in one (it should be a bit expensive). All, in all, it would run like a modern decon setup for the military, only more automated.

 

[far-trader]

First, rust is not a contaminant. It is an adhesive necessary to the solid construction of many spacecraft (particularly some Type S's)...

:rofl:

Another point of view...

Pretty sure it's canon that all starship airlocks have a full decon cycle. A shower and multispectrum radiation with a wide temp fluctuation and overpressure through vacuum. Might even be chemical washes. There's a writeup somewhere. Maybe Starship Operator's Manual, maybe T20, with the times for basic cycling and full decon.

Will it nullify everything? Perhaps not. Just everything that's already been thought of and encountered.

The exact treatment will also vary depending on the user. Full cycle is only safe if in a hard vacc-suit, gentler cycles go all the way to naked body (What's the scene I'm thinking of, from The Andromeda Strain maybe? Person standing naked with those tanning booth glasses on and a bright light hits them and the upper layer of skin is ashed and they get a low grade sunburn.)

 

[Spinward Scout]

First, rust is not a contaminant. It is an adhesive necessary to the solid construction of many spacecraft (particularly some Type S's).

But to work properly, it has to be combined with either spit, baling twine, or bubblegum.

 

[chshrkt]

But to work properly, it has to be combined with either spit, baling twine, or bubblegum.

And for those of us who remember the old days, it was baling wire.