Astronaut reveals the grim reason why you shouldn't burp in space

Going to space might seem fascinating, but it's a challenging endeavor. The environment is vastly different from Earth, requiring extensive precautions. Astronauts must pass rigorous tests and have their gear thoroughly examined. Once their mission starts, they must also follow strict protocols. Astronaut Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) shared an interesting fact: you can't burp in space. 

When an X user, Greg Switzer (@G_Switzer), opened his Snapple bottle, he found a fact scribbled on the cover. It read, “Real fact- Astronauts cannot burp in space.” To confirm whether it was true or just another bogus claim, he decided to ask a reliable source. He took to his X account and posted the picture of the cover with the caption, “Is this true? If so, why not?” Hadfield took to X to confirm this claim. He wrote, “You can't burp in space because the air, food and liquids in your stomach are all floating together like chunky bubbles.”

It is because of the lack of gravity. The presence of gravity on Earth allows the air to float up above the food particles inside one’s stomach, per ScienceAlert. What comes out in the form of a burp is the same air because it has been separated from the heavier particles settled in the bottom of the stomach. In the case of space, this doesn’t work. Since there is no gravity in space, the food particles and other substances remain mixed with the air in the form of bubbles. 

So if a person wished to burp and were in space, instead of just air, they’d be letting out all the particles inside their stomach along with the air. “If you burp, you throw up into your mouth. So, guess where the trapped air goes?” Hadfield added in his post. What comes out, instead, is a “wet burp” and it is not fun to experience. “If you burp in space, it's usually wet because the liquid and gas don't separate in your stomach like they do on Earth,” said Charles Bourland, a consultant for the NASA Food Technology Commercial Space Center, per Space. 

Astronauts tackle these issues with creative and productive solutions, as always. A major approach is to avoid diets that are more prone to causing gas. They opt for lighter and healthier meals like vegetables, certain sprouts, and so on. The revelation about burping in space shocked many people, who shared that they had never paused to think about such a minor yet crucial activity. @OneToughMother wrote, “Well that’s something I’ve never thought about before.” @pjaol added, “That’s something in all my years of doing physics I didn’t think about - so no soda in space either I guess.” 

@G_Switzer remarked, “This makes a lot of sense. I never would have thought about how your stomach contents work in space.” @oldtraffordbum hysterically said, “I’d be throwing up quite a bit then cause I burp all over the place” @Kerlanala joked, “I’m guessing burritos are never on the menu?” @BobChilds noted, “So many little details to think about. Wow!” @eml_PoetInPain added, “Sounds like one of the least fun things about going to space.”