Answer 1:
Before I can begin answering it, we must first
start by understanding what a space suit can
provide for you and other astronauts. A space
suit provides pressurized air so that your bodily
fluids do not boil. They act like tires or
inflated balloons made of rubber fibers to keep
air pressurized inside the suit. They also
provide oxygen for you to breathe so that you
do not suffocate. They remove the carbon
dioxide that you breathe out of your lungs.
Large amounts of carbon dioxide are very dangerous
and can be deadly. Because of the extreme
temperatures of space, space suits are
insulated with heavy layers of fabric to keep the
temperature inside constant and comfortable.
The fabric also protects from tiny
meteorites that collide into the suit. To
protect from harmful radiation especially from the
sun, space suits have reflective coatings of
Mylar that are built into the suits. Space
suits also come with durable helmets that
reflect sunlight and reduce glare like
sunglasses. The joints of space suits such as
the knees or elbows are tapered to give you
freedom to move when you are wearing them. They
also come with radio transmitters and
receivers so that you can communicate with
other astronauts or controllers. These are the
many wonderful things that space suits provide for
astronauts. But if you did not have one on, the
list below describes what would happen. I hope
you remember to put one on the next time you go
into space!
You would become unconscious within 15
seconds because there is no oxygen. Your
blood and body fluids would boil and then
freeze because there is little or no air
pressure. Your tissues (skin, heart, and other
internal organs) would expand because of the
boiling fluids. You would face extreme changes
in temperature:
sunlight: 248 degrees Fahrenheit / 120 degrees
Celsius
shade: -148 F / -100 C
You would also be exposed to various types of
radiation, such as cosmic rays, and charged
particles emitted from the sun (solar wind).
You could be hit by small particles of dust or
rock that move at high speeds
(micrometeoroids) or orbiting debris from
satellites or spacecraft. Click Here to return to the search form.
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