Question about space suits on Mars - for YA novel

[Elon303]

Hi!

I have a question about space suits on Mars. I've done a google search and find conflicting information.

In my YA novel the protagonist makes a quick stop on Mars (just for a couple of minutes).

I wonder if it's possible for a human to visit Mars surface for a couple of minutes with just a helmet (oxygen) and not a full space suit? I've heard that "humans would not survive long under such conditions". But my question is could we survive a couple of minutes in that atmospheric pressure with oxygen provided?

Thanks

 

[Vanadium 50]

You should look at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Mars It can get mighty cold there. (Average low around -100F)

 

[Elon303]

You should look at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Mars It can get mighty cold there. (Average low around -100F)

Yes but they also have "summers" there where temperatures are around 20 degrees celsius at certain places, so that won't be a problem.

 

[Drakkith]

I wonder if it's possible for a human to visit Mars surface for a couple of minutes with just a helmet (oxygen) and not a full space suit? I've heard that "humans would not survive long under such conditions". But my question is could we survive a couple of minutes in that atmospheric pressure with oxygen provided?

Could you survive? Probably. Would it be comfortable? No. Would it be harmful? Probably. You'd be subject to decompression effects and your body would swell since you have gases dissolved inside your body that exert an outwards pressure, though your skin is tough enough not to rupture. Any orifices or soft tissue exposed to the low pressure would probably bruise and bleed as blood vessels rupture under the pressure difference. It wouldn't be pretty and it wouldn't be fun.

You should look at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Mars It can get mighty cold there. (Average low around -100F)

Hmmm. I wonder how long it would take you to freeze in such a low-density atmosphere.

 

[Drakkith]

See here for more info on decompression: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncontrolled_decompression

 

[Vanadium 50]

Hmmm. I wonder how long it would take you to freeze in such a low-density atmosphere.

The rest of your life.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

If your setting has advanced enough technology that it’s perfectly reasonable to drop by Mars for a few minutes then spacesuits that are quick and easy to put on aren’t going to break it.

 

[Rive]

I wonder if it's possible for a human to visit Mars surface for a couple of minutes with just a helmet (oxygen) and not a full space suit?

According to this site we need around 10-13kPa oxygen pressure present (for untrained human) to be able to breathe (with just barely acceptable inconveniences, on short term). That's around half of the (oxygen) pressure at sea level - or oxygen pressure at 3000-5500m altitude. Around 6kPa it would be like standing on the top of Mt. Everest, without any acclimatization...

On the Mars, the atmospheric pressure is 600Pa (according to Wiki, linked precviously). Even if you saturate the breathing gas with oxygen it would be about the tenth of the amount available on the Mt. Everest. I would say, it is just like being without any oxygen at all. Loss of conscience within a minute or two.
And that's just breathing. I can't account for boiling.

 

[hmmm27]

After a couple tens of seconds, you'd be a walking hickey. I don't think that a few minutes would cause problems with blood boiling - skin isn't that elastic - but the bends could be an issue. You'd probably want to gird your loins.

Girdling would be a good idea, also : tighten a belt around your diaphragm so you can deflate your lungs.

But, let's ask NASA

 

[Elon303]

If your setting has advanced enough technology that it’s perfectly reasonable to drop by Mars for a few minutes then spacesuits that are quick and easy to put on aren’t going to break it.

According to this site we need around 10-13kPa oxygen pressure present (for untrained human) to be able to breathe (with just barely acceptable inconveniences, on short term). That's around half of the (oxygen) pressure at sea level - or oxygen pressure at 3000-5500m altitude. Around 6kPa it would be like standing on the top of Mt. Everest, without any acclimatization...

On the Mars, the atmospheric pressure is 600Pa (according to Wiki, linked precviously). Even if you saturate the breathing gas with oxygen it would be about the tenth of the amount available on the Mt. Everest. I would say, it is just like being without any oxygen at all. Loss of conscience within a minute or two.
And that's just breathing. I can't account for boiling.

After a couple tens of seconds, you'd be a walking hickey. I don't think that a few minutes would cause problems with blood boiling - skin isn't that elastic - but the bends could be an issue. You'd probably want to gird your loins.

Girdling would be a good idea, also : tighten a belt around your diaphragm so you can deflate your lungs.

But, let's ask NASA

The answer seems to be: you need a space suit.

Thanks everybody!

 

[CWatters]

The Russian astronaut Leonov had to let a lot of air out of his space suit in order to fit back in through the airlock on his spacecraft . It would be interesting to know what pressure he got down to.

 

[Nik_2213]

Rather than a multi-layered Apollo suit with lunar overall, or a jointed rigid suit, you may do better with a 'skin suit' which clenches everything snug, plus a heavily quilted / heated overall, which keeps you warm and offers some protection against sand etc...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_activity_suit

 

[russ_watters]

Rather than a multi-layered Apollo suit with lunar overall, or a jointed rigid suit, you may do better with a 'skin suit' which clenches everything snug, plus a heavily quilted / heated overall, which keeps you warm and offers some protection against sand etc...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_activity_suit

It needs to be pressurized, though. The difficulty with spacesuits has always been trying to pressurize them without making them too rigid to move in.

 

[Nik_2213]

Russ, please have another look at my link.
Most of the 'Skin Suit' is not pressurised, it relies on the elasticity of the porous fabric to keep the occupant intact.
No flexibility issues...