The expanse that is space is terrifyingly stunning, but for all its visual splendor, it's got a deadly dark side. Hidden from view, the vacuum of space is enough to squander almost any life form, but it doesn't happen in the way you might think. The grip of death in space is unlike a hand that strangles here on Earth. It's far more sinister.

NASA has taken the time to answer the question of "How would the unprotected human body react to the vacuum of outer space?," and the most surprising part of the answer is in the first "half minute or so." The question was apparently inspired by the movie "2001," in that scene when an unprotected Dave puts himself into the airlock. Viewers were curious how one might be affected by brief exposure to space, and the answer was a bit unexpected.

I think many viewers expected Dave to explode, and when that [spoiler alert!] didn't happen, some viewers felt that it was a flub in the film's accuracy.

Surprisingly enough for those viewers, NASA confirmed that "if you don't try to hold your breath, exposure to space for half a minute or so is unlikely to produce permanent injury." They continue to note that the danger in this time frame comes from the possible damage from holding your breath, as experienced by some scuba divers.

Aside from instant death, there are actually some troubling things that can happen in the first moments of exposure to space. Sunburn starts quickly, but your blood still doesn't start bubbling, and on the other side of the spectrum, you don't instantly freeze.

While your blood will remain flowing as usual for at least another minute or two, the saliva in your mouth is a different story. It starts to boil quickly, as a NASA test subject learned in 1965.

According to NASA, his suit wasn't pressurized, and the man reported that the last thing he remembered before losing consciousness was the saliva on his tongue boiling. He regained consciousness shortly after his chamber was repressurized.

That's not to say that space exposure is benign, though. In a time span longer than a couple minutes, some of your worst fears are realized.

Check out the clip below for the gory details, and be sure to let us know your impressions in the comments. When the video's over, share it with your friends on Facebook!