Guide to EVA
EVA is an often used phrase that means Extravehicular Activity, which more often than not refers to going out into space, or spacewalking, which typically involves exploring the asteroid that the Aurora is stationed on. EVA may also refer to EVA Storage next to Security.
Space Suits and Equipment
In order to not succumb to vacuum and have your blood boil out of your pores, you must wear protective equipment. Below are the different types of equipment available.
Softsuits
Softsuits are your most basic protective equipment against vacuum and space. They are commonly found in the blue emergency oxygen closets placed around the station. The suit and helmet are separate, but also quite fragile and susceptible to puncturing and tearing, which would render the suit useless against space. They are also clunky, encumbering, and colored very brightly.
Voidsuits
See also: Voidsuits
Voidsuits are much more advanced over softsuits, and provide a slightly better range of options. The only downside is that they must be refit in a suit cycler to fit your species/anatomy if you are not human. Voidsuits, however, contain a suit slot for oxygen tanks so that you don't have to place one on your back, which has the added benefit of letting you wear your backpack. On top of this, voidsuits can also be assembled and compacted down to a single item, which will be covered below. Despite what some may look like, voidsuits are not suits of armor, and can still be damaged beyond optimal operation. Punctures must be repaired with a welder, and scorches require steel sheets.
Hardsuits
See also: Hardsuit Operation
Hardsuits are perhaps the most advanced pieces of EVA equipment supplied by Nanotrasen. They resemble control modules that fit on your back to deploy and manage components and modules at the press of a button. Refitting hardsuits is unnecessary (and impossible) because the hardsuit will conform to a user's anatomy as soon as it deploys. They also contain a detachable oxygen tank, power cell, and bone support. They are much sturdier than voidsuits and may even work as armor, depending on the control module you're wearing. Hardsuits have more utility over voidsuits in that they contain modules that can perform a variety of tasks, depending on the control module you're wearing. The downsides of hardsuits, however, are that they inflict a speed penalty and they are both uncommon and expensive.
Internal Atmosphere
So if you're made of meat and are not synthetic, then you most likely breathe. Not breathing is bad, and space (or vented rooms) doesn't really grant you the luxury of breathing. If your internal atmosphere (dubbed "internals") isn't enabled, then you are breathing the atmosphere around you which can either be fine or really bad. In most instances to conserve oxygen, you'll want your internals to be turned off while inside the station when there's no emergency or anything of that sort. While exploring breached/vented/contaminated rooms or exiting the station, however, you'll want to turn your internals on, otherwise you may asphyxiate, breathe in toxins, or (sometimes) catch airborne pathogens.
The most common method of establishing an internal atmosphere for yourself is with an oxygen tank and a breath mask, both of which are found in the box inside your backpack. It is worth mentioning that, while tanks of all sizes can be pressurized to a little over 1000 kilopascals (kPa), their size still determines how much air is actually contained inside the tank (an emergency oxygen tank at 1013 kPa won't last nearly as long as a normal oxygen tank at 1013 kPa). Another thing to note is that the emergency tank you spawn with isn't topped off to maximum capacity, only holding 303 kPa set to release at 21 kPa, meaning that the tank is truly for emergency use and won't last you more than seven minutes.
Almost all tanks for use as internals are blue tanks of pure oxygen instead of an air mix, the most notable difference between the two being the pressure at which the contents of the tank are released into a mask: O2 releases at 21 kPa by default (16 kPa is the minimum safe pressure before you begin to asphyxiate) while Air releases at 101 kPa. Release pressure can be adjusted by clicking the tank in hand. If you wish to top off your tank (to a maximum of 1013 kPa), you must put your tank in an oxygen canister and open the valve at max pressure until the gauge on the tank matches. Once it does, close the valve and eject the tank.
Voidsuit Use
All voidsuits have a suit storage slot that can hold your oxygen tank, and it can either be placed on the storage slot while you're wearing the suit or it can be assembled into the suit while you aren't wearing it. In the event you assembled your voidsuit, right clicking the suit should give you an option to eject the tank, since you will not be able to remove it simply by grabbing it. Voidsuit helmets also remove the need to wear a mask to supply oxygen, though wearing both doesn't hinder anything.
Hardsuit Use
Hardsuits come with oxygen tanks lodged into the suit, and removing them involves a little more work. Swiping your ID over the RIG will unlock it, which will allow you to crowbar the maintenance hatch open, followed by wrenching the tank out of the suit. It's normally a good idea to top of hardsuit tanks that have maneuvering jets.
Cooled Atmosphere
If you don't actually breathe air and are a synthetic user, then you will be using suit cooling units instead of oxygen tanks. Often while wearing a voidsuit, hardsuit, or other vacuum-proof equipment, synthetic individuals will begin to overheat because the atmosphere inside continues to heat up from their warmth. To counteract this, suit coolers are used in place of an oxygen tank to constantly cool the air inside the suit as long as it is turned on and the cell inside has power. For voidsuits and hardsuits, activate the suit cooler and place it on the suit storage slot (preferably quickly). To recharge the cell, use a screwdriver on the unit, then click on the cooler while it is in your hand to pop the cell out, then just place the cell in a cell charger. Coolers cannot be assembled into voidsuits, but Research is able to make a cooling module for hardsuits if need be.
Jetpacks
Unless you're using a hardsuit with maneuvering jets, jetpacks are necessary to navigate environments without gravity, otherwise you will drift perpetually unless another force acts on your character, such as throwing or coming into contact with an object. Activating a jetpack will allow you to move around quickly, and activating stabilization (at the cost of more propellant) will allow for more precise movement, as well as keeping you from falling through holes. Jetpacks must be placed on your back to work, and should not be used as internals if the paint on the jetpack is black. If you are not granted the luxury of using a jetpack, a fire extinguisher will work as well.
Exiting the Station
Once your have the gear you need, you're ready to exit the station. Most of the time, exiting the station is done by cycling through an airlock, which will depressurize the room you're in momentarily and open to the outside. If the airlock has not been operated before or it is not cycled to your side of it, you must press the button on your side of the door to open it. From there, click the control panel and select Cycle to Exterior. DO NOT click any buttons that will force the doors, otherwise the airlock and the adjacent room will depressurize and you'll probably fly out as a result. It is highly recommended that your activate your internals and magboots before operating the airlock interface in case an accident occurs during the cycling procedure. Once the vents shut off and the opposite door opens, you are free to walk through.
Exploring the Asteroid
The asteroid is nothing short of dark and dusty, maybe with a bit of rocky debris here and there. Oh, and don't forget the holes. Navigating this rock can be dangerous if you aren't paying attention; gravity is always in play, and there's plenty of holes to fall down if you're not careful. In fact, unless you have a jetpack with stabilizers or a hardsuit with leg actuators, falling down a hole will almost certainly guarantee your demise, so watch where you're going and never walk where you can't see. You should also keep a close eye out for schools of carp since they're able to out-maneuver you with ease.
Exploring Space
Space is... well, space. Aesthetically and mechanically. There's no air, no floor, and no gravity. Without a jetpack, you will be forced to use magboots and cling to the exterior of the station to navigate. If you fall out of range of the station wall, you will have to throw something in the direction you are traveling in order to send yourself back. If someone is unconscious in space, they will have to be pulled towards the station. If they are fully conscious but unable to maneuver in space, switching to an intent other than help and bumping into them will move them.
Returning
Returning to the station is about the same as exiting except you're going into the airlock from the other side and maybe also tracking in a ton of asteroid dust from your boots. Simply bring up the interface and click Cycle to Interior and wait for the room to repressurize. In the event that there's not enough air in the supply canisters, allow the room to pressurize as high as it will go before forcing the interior door. While a little dangerous, depending on the size of the airlock and what the atmosphere is, at least you won't be stuck.