Are Airlocks Deadly?

You've seen it plenty of times in science fiction movies like The Martian or Interstellar, but is it true that airlocks can blow you out into space killing you? Well, on spacecraft and space stations airlocks are used to transition from a pressurized environment to the vacuum of space, and they do so by depressurizing the airlock so that the pressure inside matches the pressure of space, but what would happen if you suddenly open the airlock? Let's use some real science and figure out if suddenly opening an airlock would blow you out into space. And as usual, it's more complicated than you might think!

[ENDERSTIXgaming]

Alr I will remember this the next time I find myself on a space ship in a pressurized airlock

[spaceiac]

As quick explanation for everyone wondering why the air is leaving with a speed of Mach 1. The air temperature is basically the kinetic energy of the molecule, so how fast it can move. So at room temperature, the max speed at which the molecule can move is the speed of sound, Mach 1, as it doesn't have more energy to move faster.

[mindofdoge]

It's cool and all but that's why Astronauts depressurize/repressurise the airlock so they don't lose air

[PERNTNOTFOUND]

Kurzgesagt 2.0
NO !
Kurzgesagt but better !

Love your style so much <3
Keep up the great work

[MelfiortheOne]

Here is like and comment for the algorithm 😉

[imfastboi]

I feel like in sci-fi movies this would be way more ominous 🤣 Although what would happen if you weren't wearing a spacesuit?
Great content btw, love the format!

[EntropyConcept]

Love the visuals, reminds me of subject zero science. Great vid my man.

[OrionTheHunter]

I watched the whole video without seeing the low like numbers, and now seeing them, im sad, more people need to see this.

So heres an informational comment specifically here just to boost the algorithm.

If you are in said airlock without a suit and you are looking to survive for as long as possible here is what will happen to you, and how to survive the longest.

Follow this video to make sure you dont get blasted into oblivion, take a deep breath to oxygenate your blood, and breathe as much of it out before the airlock opens. (Or dont take the deep breath, im not sure if doing that would create even worse problems with nitrogen bubbles)

If you held your breath your lungs would have exploded. Air rushes out of you violently on both sides.

You pass out within 20 seconds. The last thing you experience is the moisture evaporating off of your eyes and mouth. Along with the excruciating pain of your ruptured eardrums.

Your flesh is strong enough to keep you from exploding, but you will expand quite a bit. Nitrogen bubbles wont be much help either.

If no one has closed and re pressurized the airlock by this point, hope is becoming lost. Your cells start dying. The popped capillaries in your eyes will blind you and will cause bruising everywhere else. After about a minute or two, you will die as your heart and brain take irreversable damage.

Since in space you can only cool via radiation, it will take hours for your skin to cool to background levels and days for your whole body to follow suit. If you are in direct sunlight, your body will become cooked like bacon, as your skin dies, it will be unable to hold you together, making your chest explode.

If you are never recollected, you will float around as an exploded, burnt, freeze-dried cookie forever.

Heres some extra: eyes won't explode. Nitrogen gas bubbles would only kill you if the airlock very quickly vents the atmosphere. Otherwise, they would just cause serious damage. (I think)

I am no expert, and I just learned this from random science videos on youtube. Correct me on anything if im wrong.

[Xeno]

This is weirdly informational
And useless as well as useful at the same time

[kristofferbeder]

Really great content, I hope your channel takes off!

[LakeErieAerospaceAssociation]

"Airlocks are dangerous."
The opening clip: An airlock opening before depressurizing.

[melody]

Or you can just use the airlock properly…

[Karsonthefoxx]

Don't they pump the air out of the airlock before opening the outer door?

[HermesKhadivar-nl]

Bro, I just found your channel and I'm binge watching all of your videos. This is the tipe of content I expect from a channel with millions of subs. I don't know why you are not more popular. Love your content

[firdanharbima]

Counter argument you are one of the air molecules

[Amanap]

Huh, you learn something new every day indeed

[TheIMadManI]

Love the transition into 3D cellshading. Hopefully, this means we got more space info! Must've been quite the challenge to learn. I use many different space videos as ideas for a project I'm working on. I can already think of a scenario I can use this info on, Thank you so much!

[normalwaffle]

Hey thanks for the tutorial! Seriously though, didn't know that, nice to discover your channel

[raonmiruww]

Thank you
Now i know how to survive the next time I got sent out by an airlock

[ianbruce]

Removing the astronaut from the equation, you're suggesting there would be no negative loading on the inner airlock door during a sudden (catastrophic) depressurization since it's the furthest you could possibly get behind the evacuating air mass. I'm skeptical about this.