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Among all the possible ways to die, for science fiction writers, death in space stands apart. What we have not seen enough in films about space: and cracks in spacesuits, and explosions at orbital stations, and even attacks by aliens. All this, of course, poses a mortal threat to astronauts, but which one? What will happen in outer space to a man without a spacesuit? Some argue that a person will instantly freeze to death, others, on the contrary, that his blood will begin to boil, others say that astronauts will completely explode from low pressure. Let's try to figure it out.

The human body will explode in outer space

A fairly popular theory based on the fact that the air pressure inside the lungs will tear a person apart, since there is almost zero pressure in space. Actually this is not true. In space, there is indeed almost zero pressure, but our skin is elastic enough to withstand the pressure of internal organs from the inside. As for air, the vacuum in outer space will cause it to escape almost instantly. All the air from the lungs will instantly leave the body through the respiratory tract, and this is better not to resist. Trying to hold your breath will cause the escaping air to injure your lungs.

In addition to the air from the lungs, a person will also lose gases from the stomach and intestines, and these processes will look especially unpleasant.

Human blood will boil due to low pressure

It would seem, what is the connection between low pressure in space and boiling blood? But in fact there is a connection. The lower the atmospheric pressure, the lower the boiling point of the liquid. For example, at the peak of Mount Everest, where atmospheric pressure is much lower than in other places on the planet, water boils at a temperature of about 70 ° C. It is reliably known that a person who has fallen into outer space without a spacesuit will instantly boil saliva. This does not mean that it will heat up to 100˚С, but it means that in conditions of open space, the temperature of our body (36˚С) is quite enough for the liquid to boil and evaporate.

All of the above applies to fluids that are affected by the vacuum of space (saliva, sweat, moisture on the eyes), but has nothing to do with blood. Everything that is inside a person will be normal, since the skin and blood vessels will create sufficient pressure so that nothing boils there at body temperature.

A person will instantly turn into an icicle

Another popular theory based on the fact that the temperature in space is approximately -270C. But this hypothesis is not true either. It is really very cold in space, but you will not turn into an ice cube thanks to the same space vacuum. Since there is “nothing” in space, there is nothing to give off heat, respectively. Despite this, your body will still begin to lose heat through radiation, but this is a rather long process from which you will not die.

How long can you last without a spacesuit in outer space

After the above denials, you might get the impression that a man in space does not need a spacesuit at all. But, of course, it is not. A man without a spacesuit will die pretty quickly in outer space and we will try to explain why.

The main problem in outer space is the lack of oxygen, due to the lack of which you will lose consciousness in 10-15 seconds. The statement seems dubious, especially considering that each of us can hold our breath for at least 30 seconds. The point is that when we stop breathing on Earth, we have some air left in our lungs, which keeps us going for a while. In space, however, things are quite different. The cosmic vacuum “sucks out” absolutely all the oxygen, “shrinking” the lungs. Moreover, as soon as the body is deprived of air, the lungs will begin to work in the opposite direction, pumping oxygen out of the blood, which will further bring oxygen starvation.
Due to the lack of external pressure, some of the external blood vessels (for example, those in the eyes) will begin to burst in a person and the skin will swell.
As we have already said, saliva and moisture in front of your eyes will begin to boil and evaporate.
Exposed areas of the body will receive severe burns from the ultraviolet radiation of the Sun.

All of the above symptoms will occur after 10 seconds of being in outer space. Scientists believe that A 30-second stay in space without a spacesuit will not cause serious health problems, but after 1-2 minutes, the damage will become irreversible.

There are many myths about what can happen to a person who finds himself in outer space without a protective suit. There are various versions, but today you will find out which ones are really probable and which ones are just fiction.

A person will not freeze instantly

Cooling or heating occurs as a result of thermal radiation, or contact with a cold external environment.

In space, in a vacuum, there is nothing to contact, there is neither a cold nor a hot external environment. There is only a very rarefied gas. In thermoses, for example, vacuum is used to retain heat. A person without a space suit will not feel a burning cold, since he will not come into contact with a cold substance.

It will take a long time to freeze

The human body, once in a vacuum, will gradually begin to give off its heat through radiation. The walls of the thermos flask are made mirrored in order to retain heat as long as possible. The process of heat transfer is rather slow. Therefore, even in the absence of a spacesuit, but in the presence of any clothing, heat will remain longer.

space tan

But getting a tan in space is very possible. If a person finds himself in space at a relatively close distance from a star, then a burn may appear on his exposed skin, as from excessive exposure to the sun on the beach. If a person is somewhere in the orbit of our planet, then the effect will be much stronger than on the beach, since there is no atmosphere that protects against exposure to ultraviolet rays. Just ten seconds will be enough to get a fairly severe burn. But clothing should protect a person in such a situation, and you should not panic about a hole in a helmet or in a spacesuit either.

Boiling saliva

It is known that the boiling point of liquids is directly dependent on pressure. Since the lower the pressure level, the lower the boiling point, respectively. So in a vacuum, liquids will gradually begin to evaporate. Scientists were able to draw such a conclusion on the basis of the experiments. Saliva will boil sooner or later, since there is practically no pressure, and the temperature in the mouth is 36 degrees. Most likely, all mucous membranes will face the same fate. If the mucus is not renewed from the body, then the mucous membranes will dry out.

By the way, if you conduct a similar experiment with a large volume of water, the result is expected to be different. The most likely to be observed is the effect of dry ice, when the inner part freezes and the outer part evaporates. Presumably, a water ball in space will partially freeze and partially evaporate.

Will the blood boil?

Elastic skin, heart and blood vessels can protect a person from boiling blood in space. They will create enough pressure to prevent the blood from boiling.

Is the "champagne effect" possible?

Most likely, a person in space can avoid this trouble. Decompression sickness sometimes overtakes scuba divers, as a result of the impact on their body of a sharp decrease in pressure. In this case, the dissolution of gases in human blood occurs.

This process is similar to what happens in a bottle of champagne. When the pressure is reduced, the gases turn into small bubbles. In champagne, dissolved carbon dioxide comes out of the liquid, and in the case of scuba divers, nitrogen.

But this effect is observed at pressure drops of several atmospheres. When a person enters a vacuum, there is a drop of just one atmosphere. This is probably not enough to turn blood into champagne.

The air in the lungs will tear

Presumably, a person will exhale the air that is inside, and therefore it will not burst. Is there a possibility that you can not exhale air? Let's say that in a spacesuit the pressure is at the level of one atmosphere, this corresponds to ten kilograms per square centimeter. When you try to hold your breath, the air will be blocked by the soft palate. If we assume that its area is at least two square centimeters, then we get a load of forty kilograms. It is unlikely that the sky will be able to withstand such a load, so the person will be forced to exhale like a deflating balloon.

Will the person suffocate?

This is the main real threat to a person in space, in which there is absolutely nothing to breathe. The most trained divers can survive without air for only a few minutes, and a person without special training - about a minute. But these figures are true for holding air on inspiration. And in space, a person will have to exhale, as we noted earlier.

On exhalation, a person can hold out for thirty seconds. And even less so in space. The time after which a person will lose consciousness from suffocation is known - it is approximately fourteen seconds.