Consider this excerpt from “Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs” by Caitlin Doughty to understand how survival in deep space without a pressurized suit is impossible. The excerpt is about what happens to an astronaut named Lisa when her suit becomes compromised. Lisa has 10 seconds before she loses consciousness and death will come shortly after unless she can get back to the safety of the spaceship. “Most of the conditions that will kill Lisa come from the lack of air pressure in space. The human body is used to operating under the weight of the Earth's atmosphere, which cradles us at all times like a planet-sized anti-anxiety blanket. From the moment that pressure disappears, the gases in Lisa's body will begin to expand and the liquids will turn into gas. Water in her muscles will convert into vapor, which will collect under Lisa's skin, distending areas of her body to twice their normal size. This will lead to a freaky Violet Beauregarde situation, but will not actually be her main issue in terms of survival.
The lack of pressure will also cause nitrogen in her blood to form gas bubbles, causing her enormous pain, similar to what deep water divers experience when they get the bends. When Dr. Lisa passes out in nine to eleven seconds, it will bring her merciful relief. She will continue floating and bloating unaware of what is happening.
As we pass the minute and a half mark, Lisa's heart rate and blood pressure will plummet (to the point where her blood may begin to boil). The pressure inside and outside her lungs will be so different that her lungs will be torn, ruptured, and bleeding. Without immediate help, Dr. Lisa will asphyxiate, and we'll have a space corpse on our hands.
1. Violet Beauregarde is a character in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory who swelled after eating blueberry gum. What is causing Lisa’s body to swell?