Here's what it feels like to drown in space

A space trip in July 2013 outside the International Space Station was broken when engineer Luca Parmitano saw a leak in his space suit. "My head is extremely wet, and I have the feeling that it's growing steadily," says the Italian astronaut at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Things, however, are getting worse and much more.

Parmitano tells this story her blog - she is both chilling and extremely frank. You must read it . Below we offer you an excerpt from it:

"Right at this moment, while I was thinking about how to break the cable gently (he moves around like something that is possessed in his weightlessness), I" pretend "that something is wrong. The unexpected feeling of water on my neck surprised me. And I find myself in a place where I would rather not be surprised. I begin to move my head aside and thus confirm my first impressions. With superhuman effort, I am forced to inform Houston about the things I feel - with the clear awareness that this will end this walk in the open cosmos. On Earth Shane confirms that he has received my message and tells me to expect instructions. Chris, who was just finished, is still around. He moves toward me to see if he can identify the source of water in my suitcase.

As I return to the lock, I become more and more sure that the water level is increasing. I feel that it covers the headphones on my headphones and I wonder if I will lose my audio contact. The water has covered almost completely the front of my viewfinder, making it difficult for me to see. I realize that to keep one of the antennas over it I have to move my body in a vertical position. This way, the secure cable will also develop normally. At this point, as I overturn, two things happen:

The sun sets and my ability to see (already disturbed by the water) completely disappears. My eyes are useless. But the situation is even worse - the water covers my nose. This is a terrible sensation that I made worse by trying to get her out of my way, shaking my head. At this point, the top of the suit is full of water. I can not even be sure if the next time I take my breath I will fill my lungs with air and not with liquid. Worse yet - I do not even know where to go to get back to the gate. I can not see more than a few centimeters in front of my eyes ... "

Chilling, right?

After all, it is important to remember that this accident is both a warning story and a tribute to the careful preparation of scientists and engineers - both on Earth and in space.

"Space is a harsh and inhospitable place, and we are researchers, not colonists," says Luca. "The skills of our engineers and the technology that surrounds us make things look simple. In fact, they are not. Perhaps we sometimes forget this.

Better not to do it. "