Jakarta –
What happens if astronaut died in space? This question was thought out NASA for years. There are various ethical and logistical conundrums that require practical methods of solving them.
NASA and other state space agencies must think about how to honor the dead and get the bodies out of the spacecraft as soon as possible.
Can a corpse just be thrown away? In fact, it’s not that easy. Even the UN Law, as quoted from IFL Science, actually prohibits the dumping of corpses in space.
Therefore, NASA have to be creative. They created several research groups to come up with some workable ideas, and explored different ways to dispose of bodies in outer space. According to some of the people involved, only a few solid ideas were put forward as solutions, but there was one that stood out even though it was a little strange.
In collaboration with the ecological burial company Promessa, a research team proposed an idea called “Body Back.” First, the body must be removed from view and prevent it from polluting the air inside the spacecraft as it decays.
The scientists proposed that the body be placed in a Gore-Tex bag, a space hearse, and sealed. This stage allows an ethic of respecting fallen crew members.
Subsequently, Body Back was sent to Mars. The reason is, sending a corpse back to Earth is impossible. They also cannot be cremated, because the flames, oxygen pressure, and environment are not the same as on Earth.
So, the team switched to the promession method, which is an ecological burial technique by freezing and shaking the corpse until the body crumbles to dust. This method has the potential to return the corpses to the ecosystem in the form of fertilizer, if they wish to make use of it.
This solution was invented by Promessa founder Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak and was offered to various institutions until 2015. This idea was denied by critics who said it was impossible to use this method.
NASA is one of the agencies that is still curious about this solution, and is thinking about ways to make it happen in outer space. The idea is to place the body in a bag and store it to room temperature freezing.
Once frozen enough, the bag containing the corpse will be vibrated by the robot’s arm until it becomes a fine powder. This dust can then be stored, ready to be returned to the family as the crew of the spacecraft returns to Earth, or used as fertilizer.
However, the second option is still being debated because further studies are needed to prove that terrestrial burial practices can turn corpses into compost.
This idea was developed in 2005. However, because the Promessa company is currently liquidated and there is no more news from NASA about the idea, the fate of this solution is not clear.
In 2013, the founder of Promessa announced that NASA or another unnamed private organization prepared to use the plan in a pinch during their trip to Mars. However, this information has not been verified.
Watch Video “18 NASA Astronauts Prepare to Run Artemis Mission to the Moon“
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(rns/afr)
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