OptimusPhillip@lemmy.worldtoToday I Learned@lemmy.world•TIL Soviet cosmonauts carried a shotgun on space missionsEnglish
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1 year agoI can’t seem to read the article, so forgive me if they answer this question, but how would a gun work in space? Most firearms I’m familiar with use oxidation reactions to propel ammunition. Were the shells filled with self-oxidizing propellant, or did they just use a completely different system?
I guess today is a learning day for all of us! I knew gunpowder contained nitrates, but I didn’t realize that was its purpose, or that it allowed it to work in a vacuum.