Measuring pressure in space and in a vacuum // Between nothingness and scientific precisión

Pressure is basically the thrust something gives on a surface, and it's super important in physics here on earth, we measure things every day, using the air around us as a base, and the average pressure at sea level is about 101,325 pascals

However, when this concept is transferred to outer space and emptied, pressure measurement becomes particularly complex, as these are the environments in which matter is extremely scarce and traditional references are no longer useful.

In space, the pressure is not strictly zero, although it is commonly referred to as "vacuum." There is what is called a space vacuum, composed of scattered particles such as hydrogen atoms, radiation, and cosmic dust. Instruments such as ionization meters and particle detectors, which can pick up pressures millions of times less than what we feel in the air, are used to measure this kind of pressure when we are dealing with these things.

In places like laboratories or space chambers where we can control the air, we use a mixture of Iranian manometers, for example, where you can see how particles in a given space can be measured and how much energy they have, rather than touching them. To measure the pressure of the thermal conductivity of the waste gas, while cold or hot cathode meters detect the ionization of the few molecules present.

These apparatuses allow us to classify the voids into categories, they form the low type to the super high class, each suitable for different scientific and space projects.

The way we measure pressure in space and in a vacuum is not only for theory, it has real use also for the design of spacesuits, the strength of ship structures, the operation of scientific equipment, and our understanding of cosmic events such as the birth of stars and the behavior of galaxies play a role in the absence of significant pressure. Materials, fluids and even the human body behave radically differently, forcing a redefinition of the limits of technology and scientific knowledge.

Measuring pressure in space and vacuum represents an extreme challenge for science, as it involves quantifying almost the absence of matter. Thanks to super-precise equipment and smart models, we've turned "nothing" into something we can actually measure and move our heads around.

Thus, pressure, even when it seems non-existent, becomes an essential key to exploring and understanding the universe.

Bibliography consulted

Total and Partial Pressure Measurement in Vacuum Systems J. H. Leck,
1989 / 2012.

Physics for Science and Technology, Vol. 2 by
Paul Allen Tipler, ‎Gene Mosca, 2021