NASA astronaut spots a cosmic hiccup in 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3'

While Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has taken viewers on an exciting intergalactic adventure, not all of the events in this Marvel Cinematic Universe film are based on facts.

A recent analysis by NASA astronaut Chris Hadfield revealed that the movie got something scientifically wrong in the scene with Star-Lord's dangerous run-in with death in the frigid emptiness of space.

Star-Lord is seen in the final moments of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 floating in space for a considerable amount of time without a spacesuit, with dramatic visual effects including facial bloating and frost on his face.

Hadfield disproves these fictional embellishments, arguing that a human left in space without any protection would only have a short time to live.

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Sells short on science but captures our hearts nonetheless

After propelling himself from the High Evolutionary's ship to Knowhere, Chris Pratt's Star-Lord finds himself trapped in space during the dramatic climax to the Guardians trilogy, fighting for survival.

Audiences held their breath as the other Guardians helplessly watched Star-Lord's apparent impending death. Although the scenario is emotionally intense, Chris Hadfield, a retired NASA astronaut and engineer, claims that it doesn't exactly reflect the reality of space survival.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Hadfield discussed his observations, exposing the scene's scientific errors.

A frozen star lord in space (Image via Marvel)

According to Hadfield's explanation of the underlying science, a person could last in space without a spacesuit for around 30 seconds. Within the first 15 seconds, oxygen in the bloodstream would drain via the lungs, causing unconsciousness, and within 90 seconds, permanent damage to the body would begin, eventually leading to death.

Hadfield explained that while face swelling might occur in the absence of pressure, it wouldn't be as severe as it appears in the movie. Additionally, because space travelers have a lot of thermal mass, their faces wouldn't instantly freeze.

It's difficult to transmit to a movie audience the finer details of real space circumstances, which frequently results in exaggeration for dramatic effect.

It's interesting that Hadfield also mentioned that the scenario would have been more suited for the character Groot since a sentient tree might have survived the event without suffering the negative outcomes a person in a similar circumstance would have.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 remains a satisfying conclusion to the Guardians trilogy (Image via Marvel)

It's important to note that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is not the first film in the series to show people in danger while in space. Gamora and Star-Lord both had a dangerous incident in space when their flesh froze over in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film.

The attention to specific aspects, like Star-Lord's face swelling, gives a touch of reality and heightens the emotional effect of this cosmic journey, as Chris Hadfield notes, even though Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 may not attain total scientific realism.