11. What do spacesuits do to protect us? Why do we need them? Could we go outside for a spacewalk without one? How long could we survive without spacesuits? (A K2S Question)

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As long as you stay inside your spacecraft, you do not need a spacesuit. Your spacecraft acts as your spacesuit and protects you from the space environment. However, if you go outside the spacecraft, you will need to wear an EMU. Your EMU will protect you from the extreme heat of the Sun or the extreme cold of the darkness. As there is no oxygen in the vacuum of space, the EMU will also provide you with the oxygen that you need to breathe. Without an EMU, you would either freeze instantly or burn up from the heat of the Sun.

Answer provided by Lonnie Moffitt


Image:K2S logosmall.jpg Question and Answer extracted from the book Kids to Space - by Lonnie Schorer


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