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What Would Happen to a Human Body in Space Without a Spacesuit?

Floating in space might sound like fun, but do it without a spacesuit and you won't get to enjoy it for long. Ever thought about what would happen to you?

The good news is, you wouldn't explode, despite what some sci-fi films tell you, nor would you freeze right away. The bad news is, you'd probably only last about 15 seconds before blacking out, simply because of the limited amount of oxygen in the bloodstream available for your brain.

If you were floating in space without a spacesuit, asphyxiation would be the most likely cause of death; your lungs would also rupture unless you exhaled. At least you wouldn't explode or immediately freeze, contrary to cinematic portrayals.
If you were floating in space without a spacesuit, asphyxiation would be the most likely cause of death; your lungs would also rupture unless you exhaled. At least you wouldn't explode or immediately freeze, contrary to cinematic portrayals.

And no, holding your breath wouldn't help. In fact, it would make your demise much more painful, as the air in your lungs would rupture your lung tissue as it quickly fills your chest cavity. Remarkably, though, in the event that you black out but get pulled back to safety within about 30 seconds, you'd probably survive with nothing worse than bruises all over you. However, if no one comes to your rescue, you'd stay alive but unconscious for around three minutes.

Suited for space:

  • Spacesuits keep astronauts safe in temperatures ranging from about -250 degrees F (-157 °C) to 250 degrees F (121 °C).

  • Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov was the first person to walk in space, when he left the Voskhod 2 capsule for around 12 minutes in March 1965. Ten weeks later, Edward H. White II became the first American to conduct an EVA (extravehicular activity).

  • While spacesuits weigh nothing in space, on the Earth they add 280 pounds (113 kg) to the astronaut.

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    • If you were floating in space without a spacesuit, asphyxiation would be the most likely cause of death; your lungs would also rupture unless you exhaled. At least you wouldn't explode or immediately freeze, contrary to cinematic portrayals.
      By: Jim Bahn
      If you were floating in space without a spacesuit, asphyxiation would be the most likely cause of death; your lungs would also rupture unless you exhaled. At least you wouldn't explode or immediately freeze, contrary to cinematic portrayals.