What would actually happen if you found yourself floating in outer space without a space suit? Spoiler: It’s a fate much worse than simply gasping for air, unlike what you might see in the movies. The truth is even more dramatic—and deadly—than most sci-fi films suggest. Here’s the hard science behind why astronauts can’t just step outside the International Space Station (ISS) in casual clothes, no matter how brave they are.
The High-Stakes Outfit: Why Astronauts Suit Up from Head to Toe
French astronaut Thomas Pesquet performed three spacewalks during a recent stay aboard the ISS. This sparked a question from a Sciences et Avenir reader: Why do astronauts need all that elaborate equipment for spacewalks? As Romuald Amougou asked:
“Without a protective suit, what would actually happen to us out in space?”
Thanks for your questions—they’re important!
For every extravehicular activity (EVA), astronauts don protective suits
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