Without a spacesuit, how long might someone survive in space? This Video Could Offer The Solution

Many of us had childhood fantasies of becoming astronauts and traveling to space. When one imagines these space missions, they often see an astronaut wearing a spacesuit. But have you ever given any thought to the terrifying events that might transpire should that essential spacesuit vanish into the immense void of space? A recent simulation has graphically shown the terrifying destiny that awaits a person if they are abandoned in the harshness of space without the protection of a spacesuit.

We’ve been given a peek inside the worst case scenario of becoming an astronaut without a spacesuit by the people at DG EYE Science on YouTube. The first thing the film does is refute the popular notion that people quickly blow up in space. Rather, a lung tissue rupture sets off the uncomfortable voyage. The first five seconds of this cosmic disaster see an even stranger sequence of events. The water that is on the skin, lips, and eyes makes the decision to give up and evaporate. The boiling water in the blood just makes matters worse.

As the poor astronaut starts to swell like a balloon, the simulation takes an unexpected turn. The skin plays a heroic role in this odd cosmic nightmare, demonstrating its elasticity and resilience to withstand the mounting pressure. But ultimately, the heart chooses to give up when it reaches its breaking point. Asphyxia death is the result.

For those who may not be acquainted with the word, allow us to acquaint you: this dangerous condition entails oxygen deprivation, which may result in unconsciousness or, in the worst situations, asphyxia death.

In the absence of pressure, the body’s water-filled tissues go into full expansion mode, as NASA’s Dr. Kris Lehnhardt explains to Live Science. Considering that we’re essentially conversing like walking water balloons, this becomes a little problematic.

When Jim LeBlanc, an aerospace engineer, almost passed out during a spacesuit test in 1966, he characterized the sensation as tongue-bubbling and mind-blowing.

In the documentary series Moon Machines, the courageous astronaut said, “As I staggered backwards, I could feel the saliva on my tongue starting to bubble just before I went unconscious, and that’s kind of the last thing I remember.”