Does outer space have oxygen?

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asked Dec 11, 2021 in Science by Bendilinksmachine (1,050 points)
Does outer space have oxygen?

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answered Dec 11, 2021 by 123devon (8,950 points)
There is oxygen in space, however the oxygen in space is not good enough to sustain life.

In space, there is very little breathable oxygen.

A ground based experiment by an experimental astrophysicist at Syracuse University found that oxygen atoms cling tightly to stardust.

This prevents the oxygen atoms from joining together to form oxygen molecules.

What happens to oxygen in outer space?

So, if the sealed container is opened up in space, the oxygen would quickly leak out, because the molecules near the vacuum edge would be instantaneously kicked out by the gas innermost molecules.

This would happen rather quickly and in a chained manner, but is dependent on the size of the open hole.

Space has a smell that is like gunpowder, sulfur, ozone and a faint acid smell.

We can't smell space directly, because our noses don't work in a vacuum.

However the astronauts aboard the ISS have reported that they notice a metallic aroma – like the smell of welding fumes – on the surface of their spacesuits once the airlock has re-pressurized.

Life in space is similar to life on earth however if yo go out into space you have to wear a space suit and other times you have to be in the space shuttle and there's also no gravity to hold you down.

Space is very dangerous – and without protection, people would not be able to survive there.

In space, there's no air – so you couldn't breathe. It's cold – so you'd freeze.

And there's lots of nasty radiation (from the Sun, and from the rest of the Universe), so you'd get really, really bad sunburn.

The only significant differences from living on Earth are that they operate in the confined space of the Space Shuttle orbiter cabin and that they, and all objects inside the cabin, float.

Because of microgravity on the Space Shuttle, some jobs, like handling tools and fluids, become more difficult.

There have been several people that have died in space.

There have been at least 18 deaths in space which include preparation for entry in space and those in space and some on return to earth from space.

A total of 18 people have lost their lives either while in space or in preparation for a space mission, in four separate incidents.

Given the risks involved in space flight, this number is surprisingly low.

The remaining four fatalities during spaceflight were all cosmonauts from the Soviet Union.

As of March 2021, in-flight accidents have killed 15 astronauts and 4 cosmonauts, in five separate incidents.

Three of them had flown above the Kármán line (edge of space), and one was intended to do so.

No Soviet or Russian cosmonauts have died during spaceflight since 1971.

Remains are generally not scattered in space so as not to contribute to space debris.

Remains are sealed until the spacecraft burns up upon re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere or they reach their extraterrestrial destinations.

What happens if someone dies in space?

10 seconds of exposure to the vacuum of space would force the water in their skin and blood to vaporize, while their body expanded outward like a balloon being filled with air.

Their lungs would collapse, and after 30 seconds they would be paralyzed—if they weren't already dead by this point.

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