Space exploration is a dangerous endeavor, and astronauts need to be prepared for the worst. Without a space suit, a human would only last 15 seconds in the vacuum of space. Without oxygen, the body would quickly lose consciousness and suffer from boiling, in which a reduction in pressure causes the boiling point of body fluids to drop below normal body temperature. In 1965, a technician at the Johnson Space Center in Houston accidentally depressurized his space suit and felt the saliva on his tongue start to boil before losing consciousness after 14 seconds.
This is an example of how quickly a person can succumb to the harsh environment of space without protection. In the sci-fi movie Sunshine, an astronaut named Mace must leave his spaceship without a protective suit. This could provide some protection against temperatures in space that can range from minus 200 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. However, it is unlikely that he would survive for long without a space suit.
When it comes to certain death in a sci-fi plot, being expelled into the vacuum of space is more than just a safe thing to do. If someone has wondered what would happen to a human who is in outer space without a space suit, there are many different possible outcomes. The worst thing a human can do in space without a space suit would be to hold their breath. Due to the lack of pressure in space, the oxygen located inside the lungs would expand and cause the lungs to rupture, inherently causing death.
If your body were locked in a space suit, it would decay, but only as long as the oxygen lasted. A study conducted in 1965 by researchers at Brooks Air Force Base in Texas showed that dogs exposed almost to vacuum at a pressure of up to three hundred and eighty parts of the atmosphere at sea level for up to 90 seconds always survived. This could provide some hope for humans who find themselves exposed to the interstellar medium without protection. When it comes down to it, you might survive with the right help, but it's probably not to your liking. In order to stay safe while exploring outer space, astronauts must always wear their protective suits.
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