Airlock: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 22:04, 12 December 2023

Airlocks serve as the entrance and exits to spaceships, whether it is docking with another ship or for extravehicular activity (EVA), without compromising the atmosphere of a spaceship. They consist of a hyperbaric chamber with a pair of airtight doors, one allowing access to the ship's interior and the other to the vacuum of space. The chamber can be pressurized and depressurized in a controlled fashion. A Viper launch tube constitutes a form of airlock with additional features for the rapid deployment of Vipers.

Airlocks obtain notoriety as a method of execution, particularly following the Fall of the Twelve Colonies.

Airlocks on Battlestars

Airlocks on Galactica have at multiple configurations, including one featuring an observation booth from where a depressurized airlock can be safely monitored by personnel. Some airlocks feature shared layouts as a launch tube's control room.

Airlocks are also used by the Cylons to board vessels, as was the case with Pegasus during the Battle of the Communications Relay ^{(TRS: "Pegasus", "Razor")}.

Uses Aboard Galactica

Cally and Galen Tyrol were trapped in airlock 12 on deck 14, after Galactica's computer automatically seals its blast doors due to pressure loss. In order to affect a rescue, the two had to be "airlocked" when the bulkhead was blown and the two crewmembers were summarily recovered via a nearby Raptor. Both survive the brief exposure, although Cally was seriously injured during the decompression ^{(TRS: "A Day in the Life")}.

During Gaeta's Mutiny, Galen Tyrol directs Lee Adama, Kara Thrace, Laura Roslin and Gaius Baltar to the Secondary Storage Bay, so that Admiral William Adama and Colonel Saul Tigh may escape capture by Felix Gaeta's mutineers via a Raptor dispatched by the Rebel basestar. Tyrol recalls that the location possesses an abandoned and forgotten airlock damaged in the Battle of New Caprica, but brought back online by Tyrol for his plans. Roslin and Baltar abscond via the Raptor, while Tigh and Admiral Adama stay behind to defend the airlock and give Tyrol, Lee, and Thrace time to use the vents to escape into the bowels of Galactica ^{(TRS: "The Oath", "Blood on the Scales")}.

During the Battle of the Colony, Galactica crashes its nose through the side of The Colony, allowing Lee Adama's strike team of Marines and Rebel Centurions egress through Airlock D, one of Galactica's bow airlocks. After rescuing Hera Agathon with assistance from Sharon "Boomer" Valerii, and subsequently linking up with Thrace's fireteam, the rescue team ingresses through the airlock ^{(TRS: "Daybreak, Part II")}.

Use in Corporal Punishment

Ejecting a person from an airlock or launch tube is a common and easy execution method ^{(TRS: "Flesh and Bone", "Collaborators")} and the phrase "throwing someone out of an airlock" has gained some notoriety due to Laura Roslin's preference for spacing Cylon agents in this manner ^{(TRS: "Flesh and Bone", "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II")}. Much to Gaius Baltar's dismay, Roslin suggested throwing Hera out an airlock, in order to prevent the Cylons from obtaining the hybrid ^{(TRS: "Downloaded")}. Although seen as a quick execution, whether it qualified as humane is open for debate given Adama's comment that human survival is possible for up to a minute in a vacuum ^{(TRS: "A Day in the Life")}.

Notes

The airlock set seen in "A Day in the Life" is a reuse of the launch tube set, as denoted by the doors and control station which Seelix mans in this episode.

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 '''Airlocks''' serve as the entrance and exits to spaceships, whether it is docking with another ship or for extravehicular activity (EVA), without compromising the atmosphere of a spaceship.  They consist of a hyperbaric chamber with a pair of airtight doors, one allowing access to the ship's interior and the other to the vacuum of space.  The chamber can be pressurized and depressurized in a controlled fashion.  A [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] [[launch tube]] constitutes a form of airlock with additional features for the rapid deployment of Vipers.
-Ejecting a person from an airlock or [[launch tube (RDM)|launch tube]] is a common and easy execution method ("[[Flesh and Bone]]", "[[Collaborators]]") and the phrase "throwing someone out of an airlock" has gained some notoriety due to [[Laura Roslin]]'s preference for spacing [[Humanoid Cylon|Cylon agents]] in this manner ("[[Flesh and Bone]]", "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]"). Much to [[Gaius Baltar]]'s dismay, Roslin suggested throwing [[Hera Agathon|Hera]] out an airlock, in order to prevent the Cylons from obtaining the hybrid {{TRS|Downloaded}}. Although seen as a quick execution, whether it qualified as humane is open for debate given [[William Adama|Adama]]'s comment that human survival is possible for up to a minute in a vacuum {{TRS|A Day in the Life}}.
+Airlocks obtain notoriety as a method of execution, particularly following the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]].
-Airlocks on ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' have an observation booth from where a depressurized airlock can be safely monitored by personnel. It has the same layout as the launch tube control room.
+== Airlocks on Battlestars ==
-[[Cally Tyrol|Cally]] and [[Galen Tyrol]] were trapped in airlock 12 on deck 14, after the computer automatically shut the blast doors due to pressure loss in the airlock {{TRS|A Day in the Life}}. In order to affect a rescue, the two had to be technically airlocked when the bulkhead was blown and the two crewmembers were blown into a nearby Raptor, surviving the experience although Cally was seriously injured.
+Airlocks on ''{{RDM|Galactica}}'' have at multiple configurations, including one featuring an observation booth from where a depressurized airlock can be safely monitored by personnel. Some airlocks feature shared layouts as a {{RDM|launch tube}}'s control room.
-Airlocks are also used by the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]] to board vessels, as was the case with ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' during the [[Battle of the Communications Relay]] ("[[Pegasus (Extended Version)|Pegasus]]", "[[Razor]]")
+Airlocks are also used by the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]] to board vessels, as was the case with ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' during the [[Battle of the Communications Relay]] {{TRS|Pegasus|Razor}}.
-During [[Gaeta's Mutiny]], Tyrol directs Apollo, Starbuck, Roslin and Baltar to go to the Secondary Storage Bay and get Admiral Adama and Colonel Tigh there if they can and that he has arranged for a way off the ship there.  Its revealed that that location posseses an abandoned and forgotten airlock that was damaged in the [[Battle of New Caprica]] but brought back online by Tyrol for his plans.  There, Tyrol has a [[Raptor]] from the [[Rebel Basestar]] dock to pick up the group and take them to the baseship for saftey.  Roslin and Baltar leave via the Raptor while Tigh and Admiral Adama stay behind to defend the airlock and retake the ship before being recaptured, while Tyrol, Apollo and Starbuck use the vents to escape into the ship. ([[The Oath]], [[Blood on the Scales]])
+=== Uses Aboard ''Galactica'' ===
-During the [[Battle of the Colony]], ''Galactica'' crashes its nose through the side of [[The Colony]], allowing a strike team made up of Marines and Rebel Centurions to enter the Colony through one of ''Galactica's'' bow airlocks.  After rescuing [[Hera Agathon]] with help from [[Sharon Valerii|Boomer]] and meeting up with Starbuck's team, the rescue team returns to ''Galactica'' through the airlock. {{TRS|Daybreak, Part II}}
+[[Cally Tyrol|Cally]] and [[Galen Tyrol]] were trapped in airlock 12 on deck 14, after ''{{RDM|Galactica}}''{{'|s}} computer automatically seals its blast doors due to pressure loss. In order to affect a rescue, the two had to be "airlocked" when the bulkhead was blown and the two crewmembers were summarily recovered via a nearby [[Raptor]]. Both survive the brief exposure, although Cally was seriously injured during the decompression {{TRS|A Day in the Life}}.
+During [[Gaeta's Mutiny]], Galen Tyrol directs [[Lee Adama]], [[Kara Thrace]], [[Laura Roslin]] and [[Gaius Baltar]] to the Secondary Storage Bay, so that Admiral [[William Adama]] and Colonel [[Saul Tigh]] may escape capture by [[Felix Gaeta]]'s mutineers via a Raptor dispatched by the [[Rebel basestar]]. Tyrol recalls that the location possesses an abandoned and forgotten airlock damaged in the [[Battle of New Caprica]], but brought back online by Tyrol for his plans. Roslin and Baltar abscond via the Raptor, while Tigh and Admiral Adama stay behind to defend the airlock and give Tyrol, Lee, and Thrace time to use the vents to escape into the bowels of ''Galactica'' {{TRS|The Oath|Blood on the Scales}}.
+[[File:TRS - Daybreak - Airlock D.jpg|thumb|Airlock D aboard ''{{RDM|Galactica}}'' during the [[Battle of the Colony]] {{TRS|Daybreak}}.]]
+During the [[Battle of the Colony]], ''Galactica'' crashes its nose through the side of [[The Colony]], allowing [[Lee Adama]]'s strike team of [[Colonial Marine Corps|Marines]] and Rebel Centurions egress through {{Inlineref|Airlock D|bold=N}}, one of ''Galactica''{{'|s}} bow airlocks.  After rescuing [[Hera Agathon]] with assistance from [[Sharon Valerii|Sharon "Boomer" Valerii]], and subsequently linking up with Thrace's [[fireteam]], the rescue team ingresses through the airlock {{TRS|Daybreak, Part II}}.
+== Use in Corporal Punishment ==
+Ejecting a person from an airlock or [[launch tube (RDM)|launch tube]] is a common and easy execution method {{TRS|Flesh and Bone|Collaborators}} and the phrase "throwing someone out of an airlock" has gained some notoriety due to [[Laura Roslin]]'s preference for spacing [[Humanoid Cylon|Cylon agents]] in this manner {{TRS|Flesh and Bone|Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II}}. Much to [[Gaius Baltar]]'s dismay, Roslin suggested throwing [[Hera Agathon|Hera]] out an airlock, in order to prevent the Cylons from obtaining the hybrid {{TRS|Downloaded}}. Although seen as a quick execution, whether it qualified as humane is open for debate given [[William Adama|Adama]]'s comment that human survival is possible for up to a minute in a vacuum {{TRS|A Day in the Life}}.
 == Notes ==