How Astronauts Respond To Emergencies In Space

Space travel is risky business: Astronauts have to know what to do if depressurization, a fire or solar radiation suddenly endangers their spacecraft and crew. 

Great Big Story released a video on Monday (above) detailing the fascinating -- and surprising -- safety measures that astronauts are trained in so that they can handle emergencies.

For instance, if a solar flare has directed dangerous levels of solar radiation toward a manned spacecraft, the astronauts aboard that vehicle must retreat to a small room called "the dog house." It's surrounded by water bags that absorb the radiation and prevent it from entering the room, former NASA astronaut Leland Melvin explains in the video.

"As astronauts, you're trained to not be alarmed by things," he says. "You're trained to go into a mode of, 'How will I save the day? How will I fix this? How will I do all the steps required to make sure that we come home safely?'"

Watch the video to learn more about how astronauts prepare for space emergencies.

Read more: How Going To Space Changed This Astronaut's Outlook On Life

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