Ostranauts temperature
Freezing crew, leaking hulls, and the physics of air in a tin can.
Crew needs are physical.
Food, water, oxygen: and temperature.
Crew members have physiological needs that include temperature, not just air. A ship that is sealed but freezing will still wear everyone down: and the game's gas simulation makes cold air shrink, which drops pressure too.
Cold is usually a hole.
The classic chain: breach → leak → pressure drops → temperature drops.
- Inspect walls, floors, and doors for damage: almost-broken tiles leak air.
- Patch or replace damaged tiles before adding heat.
- Check the gas readout (the gas info overlay) to confirm pressure is stable.
- If a room is depressurised, open a door to a pressurised compartment to equalise, then close it.
- Reload if the sim looks stuck: several reports resolve with a save/reload.
3 Kelvin ruins everyone's day.
A vacuumed ship is a flying ice bomb.
Players who cool their ship to 3K and then force-open the airlock at a station report the entire station dropping to around -70°C, taking ages to recover. Equalise temperature with the dock before opening: or don't vent on arrival.
Common questions
Why is my crew freezing?
Almost always a leak: broken walls, floors, or doors let atmosphere out. Gas also shrinks when cold, dropping pressure further. Patch the breach, then reheat the compartment.
How do I heat up my ship?
Fix the leaks first: a heater in an open hull is wasted power. Then run heaters and keep the reactor/oxygen loop alive. Opening a door to a pressurised, heated compartment can equalise both.
Why did docking freeze the whole station?
If you vacuum your ship down to ~3K and force-open the airlock, the cold gas floods the station and it can drop to -70°C. Vent carefully: or equalise temperatures before docking.
Can a reload fix temperature bugs?
Yes, in several reports. If walls look intact but the ship stays cold, save and reload before tearing the hull apart.
Does temperature affect the reactor?
Heat and gas interact with the whole sim: hot gas expands, cold gas contracts. Extreme cold can also affect fusion efficiency and shielding in gameplay systems.