What Really Happens When You Die in Space — A Scientist Explains
I saw “Gravity” not long ago, and like many of you, I’ve been wondering what happens to your body when you die in space. I’ve heard the vacuum of space will suck the air out of your lungs, suck your eyeballs out, suck blood out of all your orifices and make your ear drums explode. But a scientist says none of that happens. The truth is FAR STRANGER!
- the vacuum of space would suck air out of your lungs and blood out your orifices, but very slowly. There’s not a lot of pressure inside your body, so liquids and gases escape slowly out the nose, tear ducts, etc.
- You won’t shrivel
- Without air for bacteria, you won’t rot or decompose.
- You will basically mummify, but not be wrinkly.
- The cold is enough to preserve you, but not enough to make you an ice pop.
- There is bacteria in space, but they aren’t already in your body, and if they landed on your body, they may not know how to break down your body.
- UV rays and radiation will cause your body to decompose, the same way a tarp will rot in the sun. But unless something impacts your body, nothing will make it flake off. If exposed to enough UVs and radiation, you may just become a frozen chunk of dust.
- It will take a surprisingly long time to lose your body heat since the vacuum doesn’t conduct heat.