Science Fact: Exposure to vacuum

One of the things I try to do when I write my stories is to keep them as scientifically accurate as I possibly can. It is a bit of a challenge since I am essentially writing about wizards in space with faster then light starships and hand held blasters but I do make a concentrated effort to only include science that is either known to be true, or is at least plausible based on current science. This post will be the first of many that will show up randomly to discuss some of the facts I come across while doing research for my novels.

In Spectra’s Gambit there will be a scene where a character risks exposure to the hard vacuum of space for a brief period of time. Anyone who has watched popular science fiction movies and television shows will be familiar with the various myths about what should happen to anyone who is exposed to vacuum. I have personally heard it said that you blood boils off, you inflate like a balloon and explode, or that you freeze instantly. Any which way, popular science fiction has pretty much planted the idea in our heads that exposure to the hard vacuum of space is instantly bad.

Let me clear this up right now, you have been lied to. Straight up, that is utter fantasy designed to make cool scenes in movies and TV. In fact, you would not even loose consciousness for the first fifteen seconds, and your greatest risk in those seconds is from sunburn (assuming your near a star of course). In fact you can live for around ninety seconds in space with out a space suit.  Just incase this ever happens to you, here is a pro survival trick when exposed to vacuum, according to NASA, don’t hold your breath!

NASA has a great write up on this if you wish to explore this topic in more depth. You can find it -> HERE