Out-of-this-World Knives: All About Knives in Space

Imagine looking out the window of your spacecraft, seeing the blue planet Earth below you, only to be met by blaring emergency sirens alerting you that you are losing pressure in your spacecraft. You know you need to cut through some insulation to find a small puncture hole, or you’re not making it back to that little blue ball you call home.

This was the situation in 2018 for cosmonauts aboard an MS-09 Spacecraft, and the scissors they tried first were rendered useless with the thick gloves they had to wear while outside the ship.

Luckily, with time ticking, the pair of cosmonauts found and used a thin, fixed blade knife that was able to penetrate the insulation. After hours of searching under the thick insulation, they successfully found and repaired the hole.

With the limited space available on ships headed to space, NASA has to be selective about which knives make it to the moon and beyond. Let’s take a look at some of the knives astronauts have used in the past and what qualities they may need in the knives on their missions.

Knives Used in Space

Benchmade Triage

As the name suggests, Benchmade made its Triage knife with first responders in mind. The versatility of this tool is matched only by the toughness of it. With its debut space mission on the horizon for the Artemis II mission to the moon in 2025, NASA chose the Triage as a tool that would be easy to navigate with the large gloves on the space suits.

The Triage can also perform multiple tasks with just one tool, making it a smart choice in a confined space. A safety hook and glass breaker complement its strong blade. You can use the blunt tip for prying or scraping, and it prevents accidental punctures.

Randall 17 Astro

Bo Randall explicitly designed this blade for the Mercury mission; the Randall 17 Astro features a wider hand shield to make it easier to use with space gloves, a compartment for matches or fishing line, and a strong, fixed blade.

Case M1

This machete was a simple tool that had gone to the moon nine times. Space travelers chose every aspect of this knife with its pending space travel in mind, including the handle material that would not give off toxins inside the spacecraft.

How Astronauts Use Knives in Space

Astronauts rely on knives for a variety of tasks during space missions, including:

Cutting and Slicing

Astronauts use knives to cut food packages, tape, and other materials that they must precisely divide.

Tool Assistance

Knives serve as multipurpose tools for minor repairs, adjustments, and other tasks requiring precision handling.

Emergency Situations

In rare cases, knives can be essential for freeing a stuck object, cutting a line, hacking through the insulation to find a small hole or other emergency situations.

Just as you use an EDC knife when your feet are planted safely on the ground, astronauts also need one.

Qualities a Knife Needs in Space

Any knife that will exit the atmosphere but needs to retain its usefulness must meet a few criteria. It won’t do you any good to get to space and find out your only knife has corroded or slipped through the gloves on your suit; you can’t just grab one of your spares.

1. Durability

Knives used in space must withstand extreme conditions, including vacuum, temperature variations, and potential impacts, without compromising functionality.

2. Corrosion Resistance

Materials that resist corrosion are vital to prevent degradation over prolonged exposure to space conditions.

3. Precision and Sharpness

A sharp blade is essential for achieving clean cuts and minimizing effort in a low-gravity environment where control is critical.

4. Ergonomic Design

Handles should offer a secure grip to ensure safe and precise handling, even when wearing gloves or facing challenging angles.

5. Safety Features

Knives used in space should have features that minimize the risk of accidental opening or closing, ensuring astronaut safety during operations. A clip that can connect it to the astronaut on spacewalks is ideal, so it doesn’t accidentally become space debris.

If you want to own a knife that even NASA has vetted to be durable and versatile enough to send to space, search out new Benchmade knives and look for the Triage. You can carry around a piece of history in your pocket. Hopefully, you won’t ever need to use it to cut through inches of thick insulation to save your and your companion’s life, but if you need to, you’ll be ready.