Bent in Outer Space

[JasonH20]

Not sure how I got stuck on this train of thought, but thought I'd share it none the less.

If you are in a vacuum (ie outer space) and try to breath, your partial (and absolute) pressures would all go to 0. So I assume you would start off gasing all kinds of stuff at that point. So in outer space do you basically die by the same mechanics that a bent diver might be killed? In other words, would going polaris while diving be analogous to leaping out of a space ship with no space suit? And along the same lines, it would be impossible to hold your breath while in a vacuum for the same reasons you shouldn't hold your breath while diving?

Or are there other, more sinister, forces at play when you expose a pressurized body to the vacuum of space?

At any rate, I assume it would get kind of messy? eeuuww.

Cheers!
Jason

 

[jonnythan]

I'm pretty sure I read that nitrogen won't come dramatically out of solution and bubble up going from about 1 atmosphere to 0 atmospheres. You'd die of asphyxiation.

If you held a big breath as they opened the airlock doors, you'll probably embolize.. not sure which will kill you first though

 

[pete340]

Or are there other, more sinister, forces at play when you expose a pressurized body to the vacuum of space?

Watch the end of "Total Recall."

 

[Goose75]

I don't remember correctly, but I believe the first fatal item is that your blood is at full pressure with nothing conteracting.

 

[D_O_H]

I don't remember correctly, but I believe the first fatal item is that your blood is at full pressure with nothing conteracting.

The Straight Dope is always useful when questions such as these spring to mind.

 

[archman]

Never, EVER hold your breath in hard vacuum. You'll rue the day.

 

[cudachaser]

Three Russian cosmonauts died several years when their hatch blew out on reentry...explosive decompression.

When American astronauts walk in space, a very detailed decompression protocol is instituted on the shuttle...Twenty four hours before the space walk, cabin pressure dropped from 14.7 to 10 psi...EVA crew begins breathing pure O2 to purge their bodies of N2. They enter their suit on pure O2. Once they are outside...the suit pressure operates at 5 psia pure O2

Joe

 

[jbd]

Not sure how I got stuck on this train of thought, but thought I'd share it none the less.

If you are in a vacuum (ie outer space) and try to breath, your partial (and absolute) pressures would all go to 0. So I assume you would start off gasing all kinds of stuff at that point. So in outer space do you basically die by the same mechanics that a bent diver might be killed? In other words, would going polaris while diving be analogous to leaping out of a space ship with no space suit? And along the same lines, it would be impossible to hold your breath while in a vacuum for the same reasons you shouldn't hold your breath while diving?

Or are there other, more sinister, forces at play when you expose a pressurized body to the vacuum of space?

At any rate, I assume it would get kind of messy? eeuuww.

Cheers!
Jason

Jason,
While the overall info may be a bit different than the questions you pose here, do a search in the Dr. Deco section. I can't recall the discussion but I think Dr Deco talked about the procedures that the astronauts use to "wash" nitrogen from their bodies to prevent them from getting DCI in certain scenarios i.e. something like a space walk.

 

[Charlie99]

Although going into vacuum would indeed cause N2 to bubble, the even bigger problem is that outer space has pressure lower than H2O water vapor pressure at 37C/98.6F.

In simpler terms, your blood will "boil". Literally.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Although going into vacuum would indeed cause N2 to bubble, the even bigger problem is that outer space has pressure lower than H2O water vapor pressure at 37C/98.6F.
In simpler terms, your blood will "boil". Literally.

Indeed. Body temp is the boiling temp of blood at about 55000 feet MSL; that's why pilots flying above 50,000' wear full pressure suits - in case of a loss of cockpit pressurization.
In the event of decompression above 55,000' death is instantaneous, and messy... not the Hollywood rendition we've all seen.
S