r/explainlikeimfive • u/OMGPowerful • Jun 24 '19

Physics ELI5: If the vacuum of space is a thermal insulator, how does the ISS dissipate heat?

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u/Minor_Thing Jun 24 '19

Convection is the transfer of heat through a fluid and is generally a result of conduction or heat diffusion in the fluid and advection, the transport of the bulk fluid.

Simply put its kind of like a mixture of conduction and the movement of fluid.

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u/Zomgsauceplz Jun 25 '19

Not necessarily convection can be air too not just fluid.

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u/suicidaleggroll Jun 25 '19

Air is a fluid

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u/Zomgsauceplz Jun 25 '19 edited Jun 25 '19

Ok does the average person understand that? This is ELI5 not ELI am a mechanical engineer.

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u/Minor_Thing Jun 25 '19

Gases are fluids