A gasket is a precisely formed body of some (yielding) material placed at a mating surface usually to prevent leakage. It may also be constructed of an alloy as was done in early IC engines.
Spacecraft work in a vacuum, typically with instruments, engine/s, and fuel/s. Anthropic habitats are restricted to
- Spacesuits,
- ISS,
- Crew/resupply missions
- Test flight
The loss of a craft to a faulty gasket would be quite the anti-climax given the figures usually bandied against mere construction/testing of the spacecraft, to say nothing of launch/deployment. It may be worse to have it happen to a habitat.
- Has any mission to-date in orbit, or beyond suffered a damaged gasket?
- Are gaskets even used in spacecraft?
- What material are such gaskets constructed of?
- What procedures are in place for damage control against such an event?