Let’s say you land on Pluto. You step out of your spacecraft, take a deep breath… and instantly regret it.
Because breathing on Pluto? Not a good idea.
So, What Happens?
You’d pass out in less than 10 seconds, and die within 2 minutes—unless you were wearing a pressurized suit. But why exactly?
Let’s look at the facts:
1. There’s No Oxygen
Pluto’s atmosphere is incredibly thin—about 100,000 times thinner than Earth’s. And it’s not made of oxygen. Instead, it’s composed mostly of:
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Nitrogen
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Methane
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Carbon monoxide
That means there’s nothing for your lungs to extract—no oxygen molecules to bind to your red blood cells. You’d asphyxiate almost immediately.
2. Your Blood Would Start to Boil
In such low pressure (essentially a vacuum), the boiling point of liquids drops dramatically. That includes the liquids in your body.
Your blood wouldn’t boil like water in a pot—but your tissues would swell as gases inside your body expanded uncontrollably. Not a pretty picture.
3. You’d Freeze Instantly
Pluto’s average temperature is about −229°C (−380°F). Any exposed skin would freeze solid within seconds. Even your breath would turn to ice crystals in midair.
Could You Survive With a Suit?
Yes, in theory. A proper spacesuit would protect you from:
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The vacuum
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The cold
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The lack of oxygen
But even then, sunlight is weak, gravity is light, and communication delays with Earth are long. It’s one of the most remote and hostile places we’ve ever studied.
So, What Would Happen?
Without a suit:
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You’d black out in seconds
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Suffocate within minutes
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Possibly freeze and bloat from the pressure drop
With a suit:
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You’d get a beautiful, lonely view of a distant world where no human has ever been
Pluto may be small—but it’s not soft.
It’s cold, deadly, and breathtaking—in every sense of the word.
