This is fascinating. As an engineer, my mind always goes to: "what are the practical challenges":
* How do you splice without crushing the core?
* How do you terminate/splice and maintain vacuum?
* How do you terminate at all
* How do you splice without crushing the core?
* How do you terminate/splice and maintain vacuum?
* How do you terminate at all
Pressurize during the slice, and slice quickly before the pressure drops. Not hard over that very short distance.
* How do you terminate/splice and maintain vacuum?
Gas-filled, not vacuum.
* How do you terminate at all
See above.