Dr. Elena Riveranow{{ ntfText }}
5 September 1862Glaisher’s logbook
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Adapted from the case study account
Out of Thin Air
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Your mentor Dr. Elena Rivera Lead flight surgeon, high-altitude test program

Elena has spent her career keeping pilots and test crews safe in thin air. She’ll guide you through this week and check in with a message at every step.

18 yrsin aerospace medicine 60+high-altitude flights Youher newest trainee
Dr. Rivera is a fictional character created for this module.
Dr. Elena RiveraLead flight surgeon, on comms
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Watch {{ vTitle }} {{ vCovers }} TranscriptHandout
Dr. Elena RiveraLead flight surgeon, on comms
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Glaisher_logbook_18625 entries, adapted from the case study
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Play the video first
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Rebuild the flight Pick an event, then tap the height where it happened. The video and the logbook will help.
Higher ↑ Wolverhampton, ground
Events

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The flight is rebuilt. What’s your hunch? What hurt them up there?
Got it. It’s just a guess for now, and you’ll check it as you go.
Trace the oxygen Follow one breath. Tap each stop in order, from the air you breathe in to the cells that use it.
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Placeholder: candle graphic
Now light the candle. Your cells burn fuel a lot like a flame does. What comes out? Fuel + oxygen → {{ eqOut }}

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Watch your crew This is a recording from a training climb without oxygen. Go through each radio check-in and pick the sign you see.
Crew cam, pilot
Altitude{{ ckAlt }} Blood oxygen{{ ckSat }}
Radio, pilot“{{ ckQuote }}”
What sign is this?

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Looking back, when should you have called for oxygen?

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Now find the cause. Cross out the types of hypoxia that don’t fit two healthy men climbing.

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Sea level
Denver
Worked example Picture one breath of air as a pie chart. The orange slice is oxygen, about 21% of the air. The blue is everything else, mostly nitrogen. As you climb, the slice stays 21%, but the whole circle gets smaller because there’s less air in each breath. So oxygen per breath = 21 × pressure. Sea level: 21 × 1.0 = 21. Denver, at 80% pressure: 21 × 0.8 = about 17.
Your turn. Figure out the oxygen in each breath for each place. OxygenRest of the airA smaller circle means less air in each breath.
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The dead zone starts below one third of sea-level pressure. Which places are in it? Pick all that apply.

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How the numbers work Oxygen in each breath = oxygen in the air × pressure. At sea level that’s 21. Think of 21 as normal.
21%oxygen in air×1.0sea-level pressure=21normal
Example: Give Glaisher a mask of pure oxygen at 29,000 ft. The pressure is still low, but now every breath is all oxygen.
100%pure oxygen×0.31pressure up high=31more than normal
31 is more than 21, so he’d stay awake.
Pick the air for each vehicle.
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Oxygen in the air
Oxygen per breath: {{ v.units }}
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All three designs pass. Each one solves thin air in a different way: the airliner keeps normal air at lower pressure, the suit uses pure oxygen at low pressure, and the station keeps Earth-like air so the crew isn’t exposed to too much oxygen for months.
Live: cabin pressure lost The cabin is leaking, so it feels higher and higher inside. Watch the crew’s messages, decide when to act, and keep them safe. The clock doesn’t stop.
Cabin altitude{{ simAltT }}{{ simTrend }} Above 14,000 ft: oxygen required
Crew radio {{ m.who }}: “{{ m.t }}”
Elena: run the numbers {{ mathQ }}
New problem The pilot’s mask hose just split. The engineer pulls off his own mask to help her. What do you tell him?
Descend Open the valve and drop. Where should the cabin level off?

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Your calls
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