What happens if someone dies in space? – Guillermo, Palm Beach, Florida, United States
There is no doubt that sending humans into space is extremely difficult and dangerous.
Since space exploration began more than 60 years ago, 20 people have died – 14 people NASA space shuttle tragedy in 1986 and 2003three cosmonauts in Soyuz 11 mission in 1971and three astronauts in Apollo 1 launch pad fire in 1967.
Considering how complex human spaceflight is, it’s actually remarkable that so few people have lost their lives so far. However, NASA plans to send crew to the Moon in 2025 and astronauts to Mars in the next decade. Commercial spaceflight become routine. As space travel becomes more common, so does the likelihood that someone will die on the journey.
This reminds us of a grim but important question to ask: If someone dies in space – what happens to their remains?
In the future, NASA and other space agencies, along with private industry, hope to build colonies on Mars.
janiecbros/E! via Getty Images
Death on the Moon and Mars
As space medical doctor who works to find new ways to keep astronauts healthy, me and my team at Translational Research Institute for Space Health wants to ensure space travelers are as healthy as possible for space missions.
Here’s how deaths in space are handled currently: If someone dies on a low-Earth orbit mission – as in International Space Station – the crew was able to return his remains to Earth in a capsule within hours.
If that happened on the Moon, the crew could return to Earth with the bodies in just a few days. NASA has detailed protocols for such incidents.
Because of the speedy return, it is likely that preservation of the remains will not be a major concern for NASA; instead, the top priority is ensuring the remaining crew return to Earth safely.
Things would be different if an astronaut died during the journey 300 million miles to Mars.
In that scenario, the crew probably wouldn’t be able to turn around and go back. Instead, the remains will likely return to Earth with the crew at the end of the mission, which could be several years later.
Meanwhile, the crew will probably preserve the body in a separate room or special body bags. Stable temperature and humidity inside a space vehicle would theoretically help preserve the body.
However, all of these scenarios only apply if someone dies in a pressurized environment, such as a space station or spacecraft.
What would happen if someone stepped out into space without spacesuit protection?
The astronaut would die almost instantly. The loss of pressure and exposure to the vacuum of space will make it impossible for astronauts to breathe, and their blood and other body fluids will boil.
What would happen if an astronaut stepped onto the Moon or Mars without a spacesuit?
The moon has almost no atmosphere – very small amount. Mars has very thin atmosphere, and almost no oxygen. So, the result will be almost the same as the open space display: suffocation and boiling blood.
Exposure to radiation, toxic soil, and a leaking spacesuit are three of the many ways to die on Mars.
What about burial?
Suppose an astronaut dies after landing, while on the surface of Mars.
Cremation is undesirable; Cremation requires too much energy that the surviving crew needs for other purposes. And burial isn’t a good idea either. Bacteria and other organisms from the body can contaminate the surface of Mars. Instead, the crew will likely preserve the bodies in special body bags until they can be returned to Earth.
There are still many unknowns about how explorers will face death. It’s not just a question of what to do with the remains. Helping the crew deal with the loss, and helping the grieving families on Earth, is as important as dealing with the bodies of the dead. However, to truly colonize another world – whether the Moon, Mars, or a planet outside our solar system – this grim scenario requires planning and protocol.
Rahma Sekar Andini from Malang State University translated this article from English
2023-09-21 04:44:17
#dies #space
