Honorable children It is a chain of children of all ages. If you have a question you want to answer, send it to Uciouskidsus@theconversion.com.
What happens if someone dies in space? – Guillermo, Palm Beach, Florida
There is no doubt that sending humans to space is a very difficult suggestion and risk.
Since he began exploring human space more than 60 years ago, 20 people have died – 14 in The tragedies of the space shuttle in NASA in 1986 and 2003Three astronauts through 1971 Soyuz 11 MissionAnd three astronauts in Apollo 1 Launch Pad Fire in 1967.
Given the complexity of transportation for human space, it is striking that a few people have lost their lives until now. But NASA plans to send A crew to the moon in 2025 And astronauts for Mars In the next decade. Commercial space distance rut. When traveling to space becomes more common, the possibility of someone will die along the way.
It brings back a dark but necessary question to ask: If someone dies in space – what happens to the body?
Death on the moon and Mars
like Medical doctor Who works to find new ways to maintain the health of astronauts, I and my team in Institute of Translation Research for Space Health You want to make sure that space explorators are healthy as much as they can be for space tasks.
Here is how death will be dealt with in space today: If someone dies on a low-Earth mission-like International Space Station The crew can return the body to the ground in a capsule within hours.
If this happens on the surface of the moon, the crew may return home with the body within a few days. NASA is already detailed Protocols in place for such events.
Because of this quick return, it is possible that maintaining the body will not be the main concern of NASA; Instead, priority 1 is to ensure that the remaining crew is safe to the ground.
Things will be different if an astronaut dies through A 300 million miles trip to Mars.
In this scenario, the crew may not be able to rotate and return. Instead, the body is likely to return to the Earth with the crew at the end of the mission, which will be after two years.
Meanwhile, the crew is supposed to maintain the body in a separate room Or a specialized body bag. Theoretical temperature and humidity inside the spacecraft theoretically help maintain the body.
But all of these scenarios will only apply if someone dies in a compressed environment, such as a space station or a spacecraft.
What will happen if someone goes out to space Without protecting space clothes?
The astronaut will die almost immediately. The loss of pressure and exposure to space emptiness will make it impossible for the astronaut to breathe, and will boil the blood and other body fluids.
What will happen if an astronaut comes out on the moon or Mars without space suit?
The moon has almost no atmosphere – Very small. Mars has A very thin atmosphereAnd almost oxygen. So the result will be the same exposure to open space: boiling blood and blood.
What about burial?
Suppose the astronaut died after landing, while on the surface of Mars.
Burning bodies are not desirable; It requires a lot of energy that the crew needs for other purposes. Burial is not a good idea either. Bacteria and other organisms can Mars surface pollution. Instead, the crew is likely to maintain the body in a specialized body bag so that it can be returned to the ground.
There is still a lot of unknown people on how explorers deal with death. Not only is the issue of what to do with the body. Helping the crew to deal with loss, and helping sad families on the ground, is less important than dealing with the remains of the person who died. But to actually colonize other worlds – whether it is the moon, Mars, or a planet outside our solar system – this dark scenario will require planning and protocols.
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Since curiosity does not have the maximum age – adults, he told us what you also wonder. We will not be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.
This article has been republished from ConversationAn independent, non -profit news organization brings you facts and trusted analysis to help you understand our complex world. Written by: Emmanuel Orchitaand Baylor College of Medicine
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Emmanuel Orkita supports the Institute of Translation Research for Space Health.
