Can Astronauts Burp In Space?
Can Astronauts Burp In Space?
Living in space can have strange effects on the human body, which is not well-equipped for zero-gravity conditions. It can cause a range of health issues, while maintaining personal hygiene can be challenging, and even urinating can be quite awkward.
One question that a Twitter user asked former International Space Station Commander Chris Hadfield is whether it's true, as a Snapple cap claims, that people cannot burp in space. The answer is somewhat yes.
Hadfield explained that burping in space is not like on Earth since the air, food, and liquids in one's stomach are all floating together like "chunky bubbles." If a person burps, they will throw up into their mouth, causing trapped air to go there.
While air can travel from one's stomach and out through their mouth in space, the issue is the absence of gravity. When gas is trapped in the stomach, it rises to the top on Earth because it is lighter than the food and stomach fluids. However, in space, where there is no gravity, the gas does not rise to the top but stays mixed with other contents in the stomach.
Bomiting
Therefore, if the gas wants to come out of one's mouth, it brings everything else with it. This experience is somewhat like a cross between a burp and a spew, and it is referred to as a 'wet burp' or a 'bomit' - a nauseating experience that can be terrible, particularly if it happens in a spacesuit.
Furthermore, since the space station is a confined environment, passing gas can make it smell. In the 1960s, researchers performed experiments to determine the space diet that would create the least flatulence because of the risk of flammable gas in a pressurised cabin. As a result, foods such as beans, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts were removed from the spaceflight menu. However, green beans and broccoli are now included.
Additionally, there is air circulation on the ISS to keep astronauts from inhaling their own CO2 exhalations, so gas moves away as well. If an astronaut has to burp in space, they could use the "push and burp" technique, where they push off a wall to generate a force that keeps food down in their stomach, giving them a brief chance at expelling gas without any consequences.
