TIL up until 2006, Russian cosmonauts used to carry triple barreled pistols to space stations (including the ISS) as part of their survival kit. The pistols supported rifle bullets, shotgun shells and flares, and were intended to be used as a defense against predators after the landing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TP-82



Submitted January 25, 2015 at 07:48AM by Antares191 http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/2tkq2s/til_up_until_2006_russian_cosmonauts_used_to/