if an astronaut's helmet opened by accident in space what would happen? what would they feel?

Answer 1

All the air would be sucked out of the astronaut's suit, and the astronaut would explode due to the vacuum of space.

Answer 2

MJW is right in his answer about how the astronaut would die and the people who say he would freeze instantly are exactly wrong!

It's common to say that the "vacuum of space" is extremely cold, but this isn't true. Space doesn't have an ambient temperature as temperature is a measurement of the average kinetic energy of the particles within a said mass. Since space is a vacuum and, thus, has no particles (or very few) it can't have a temperature. Therefore, the astronaut would be long dead before any noticeable change in his temperature occurred.

There's a very simple way to exemplify the fact that space doesn't have a temperature as it is a vacuum. Probably everyone owns or has seen a Thermos beverage container which can keep liquids either very hot or very cold for long periods of time. How do they do this so efficiently? Well, most Thermos containers have two shells. The outer shell and the inner shell which holds the liquid. Between the two shells there is a space that is a near vacuum. Because there are very few particles in this space, heat can't be transferred from the beverage to the outside very easily. In fact, the small brace connections between the two shells is where the liquid loses the greatest amount of heat! So, ya, it's wrong to say he would "instantaneously freeze". That's just not true.

Answer 3

If it was just a leak, and pressure went to zero slowly enough that there wasn't damage from explosive decompression, the astronaut would probably remain conscious for something like 30 sec to 1 min; that might be long enough to close a leaky valve (if that's all it was) and repressurize the suit. So he might survive. Vacuum doesn't kill you instantly by itself. The scene in "2001 - A Space Odyssey" where the astronaut jumps into the airlock is not unrealistic. Of course, if the helmet blew entirely off, or big chunks of it hit him in the head, he'd die.

Answer 4

If by exposure, you mean instantaneous decompression- several things would happen.

First- all gases within the astronaut, including oxygen in his bloodstream and elswhere would instantly boil. This would have the effect (if instantaneous) of bursting veins, causing massive trauma. There is a chance that trauma woudl be withheld if the decompressionw as slow.

Even without death from trauma- suffocation would occur extremely quickly, as blood would be cut off to the brain instantly due to circulatory failure- almost like being choked on the carotid arteries. this means death really quickly.

Freezing to death would happen, but not very quickly. This is because of the way heat works; heat = jumping particles that have alot of kinetic energy. Cold substances are substances that have very little in the way of jumping particles and they are very calm- thusly even though the odd particle in space is 'cold'- there are VERY few particles to actually cause a change in temperature in something as dense as human flesh quickly.

One more likely possibility, would be the astronaut would be cooked. The intense rays of the sun, with no visor or suit, would cause intense sunburn on his face- there woulden't be combustion persay, due to the lack of oxygen- but he would cook, and rather brutally like that.

Answer 5

All the air in their spacesuit would immediately vent, as space is a vacuum. This would not be a problem as by the time that had occurred, the astronaut would be frozen solid anyhow; space is VERY cold indeed (-273 degrees C).
The freezing would be such a very fast process that they would be unlikely to have a chance to feel the pain before they died.

Answer 6

The air in the suit and his lungs would almost instantly be "sucked out" into space. The astronaut would also freeze, but I couldn't tell you if it would be instantaneous or just a close approximation.

The earth's temperature is a combination of many different things, not just the sun.

Answer 7

They would explode, not implode. You have an internal pressure - blood pressure. There is no pressure in space, so your veins would burst. Any air in your lungs would probably expand too fast to expel in the normal way, causing your lungs to burst.

I think death would be quite quick.

Get the DVD, Mission to Mars. When the astronauts are floating above Mars, the leader loses contact and is going to enter Martian atmosphere, and rather than burn up in the atmosphere, he takes off his helmet.

Good special effects. Not too sure about the story.

Answer 8

Their blood would very quickly reach boiling point and their body would inflate, both due to the difference in pressure between the inside and the outside of their body. I have no idea what this would feel life but I wouldn't care to try It.

Answer 9

first of all, no astronaut could actually attempt this style of element purely for kicks. besides, to respond to the question, the hypothetical astronaut's head does no longer explode yet he or she does no longer sense so super whilst they closed the mask. See my source below.

Answer 10

The poor chap would feel very miffed and, with his last breath, radio a 'snottogram' to the suit's manufacturers to demand his money back. With luck, his Executors will receive a cheque in the next post.