# Why doesn't free-falling in a vacuum hurt?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-free-falling-in-a-vacuum-hurt/610177>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 20, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-free-falling-in-a-vacuum-hurt/610177 "2012-01-20T23:15:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-free-falling-in-a-vacuum-hurt/610177/1 "2012-01-20T23:15:36Z")

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As sort of a complement to [this thread,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=639088) I was wondering the exact opposite.

Actually, I assume it would hurt a whole lot for a lot of reasons. But what would actually happen? Would you blow up like a Bond villian?

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**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-free-falling-in-a-vacuum-hurt/610177/2 "2012-01-20T23:58:20Z")

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Is this what you are asking? If so, Cecil did a column on it once.

[If you were thrown into the vacuum of space with no space suit, would you explode?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/711/if-you-were-thrown-into-the-vacuum-of-space-with-no-space-suit-would-you-explode)

Short answer: Death would come quickly but you would not explode.

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**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-free-falling-in-a-vacuum-hurt/610177/3 "2012-01-21T00:15:06Z")

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Can I ask what free-falling has to do with this? Why would that contribute to the hurt?

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**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-free-falling-in-a-vacuum-hurt/610177/4 "2012-01-21T00:48:08Z")

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It’s not the free-fall that hurts. It’s the sudden stop at the end.  
(Someone was going to say it eventually.)

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**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-free-falling-in-a-vacuum-hurt/610177/5 "2012-01-21T01:33:16Z")

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> [@Xema](#):
>
> Can I ask what free-falling has to do with this? Why would that contribute to the hurt?

I thought it would be more dramatic to toss our volunteer out of an airlock.

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**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-free-falling-in-a-vacuum-hurt/610177/6 "2012-01-21T02:22:34Z")

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If you were in a suit and free-falling to the surface of a planetary body that had no atmosphere you wouldn’t feel much sensation at all. You’d just continue to feel weightless until you hit the surface.