As the era progressed the emphasis was on off-world travel. To build colonies on other planets we may have to consider the worst possible failure: “death in space.”
This was stated in a NASA report for the Popular Science website (popsci.com). “NASA does not prepare contingency plans for all remote risks. (such as a long trip to Mars)
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NASA's response to unplanned on-orbit situations will be determined through a collaborative, real-time process. The Flight Operations Committee includes the Director of Health and Human Performance, NASA leaders, and our international partners.
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This means that NASA has no plans in the event that a crew member or astronaut dies outside Earth or even outside the spacecraft. How to deal with dead bodies is an immediate problem-solving process.
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But what if humanity intends to travel far to colonize other planets? We may have to look into it. What will happen to the body? If we died in space
Death in space is an event that no one wants to happen.
“In the worst case scenario, something happens during space travel,” said Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield. “Suddenly a small meteorite could hit you,” said a former commander of the International Space Station. “And you can't do anything about it. It could make holes in “Your clothes. And within seconds you're 'incompetent.'”
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In all, the virtual astronaut would only have about 15 seconds before losing consciousness. But the unlucky person couldn't do much. The freezing pressure and temperature of outer space are creeping up quickly. Then your body begins to harden. Exposure to space causes bodily fluids to suddenly turn into gases.
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In a low-pressure vacuum, any liquid from the surfaces of our bodies such as our skin, eyes, mouth, ears and lungs instantly turns into a gas, said Jimmy Wu, a senior engineer at the Space Health Research Institute at Bay College. He said blood vessels close to the skin may be more susceptible to rupture and bleeding. Even though he was dead
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However, the little water remaining in the body tends to freeze. Since the core temperature of space is -270.45 degrees Celsius, this means a loss of fluidity, plus freezing leads to a “mummified state” and then the bacteria in the body come into play.
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Research conducted on the International Space Station (ISS) indicates that some bacteria can survive in space for at least three years, and if they survive in the body, it means they will continue their normal operation. With digestion starting from the inside
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Intense radiation in space can also cause harm to the body. It breaks the carbon bonds that form the building blocks of cells. This leads to rapid deterioration of the skin and muscles. The corpse of an imaginary astronaut has now been transformed into a complete body. The dry, hard, mummified body is digested from the inside. It is damaged from the outside and will continue to float in the direction from which it was pushed until it collides with another object. This is the next problem.
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Miles Harris, a scientist at the Institute for Disaster Risk and Reduction, University College London, said the bodies “actually pose a risk” to all satellites in Earth's orbit.
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To avoid this, NASA recommends taking the object further into space and beyond the planet's orbit. Because a hard corpse can cause more damage.
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But over time, Earth's gravity gradually pulls the body backwards. Eventually, it will burn up in the atmosphere and disappear. This is what would happen if you died in outer space and it was difficult to recover the body. But what happens if we die in a spaceship?
Death in space – a freeze-dried funeral
“In my 16 years as an astronaut, NASA astronaut Terry Virts said, 'I don't recall ever talking to any of the other astronauts about the possibility of death.' But we all understood that it was so. You can go.’ But there was no male in the room.”
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Although death is not an official part of the operations of various space organizations, many space partners, such as NASA, provide training on these missions before flying. Or the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) and Europe (ESA), which are preparing in the event of the death of any crew member.
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“We have these things called ‘emergency simulations’ where we discuss what to do with the body,” Werts said.
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Dead bodies in space are a bigger problem than people think. It's not just that someone dies and then goes through a religious ceremony and then it's over. But space is tricky, starting with body bags that are often not mission-ready. Therefore, the body can be kept in the astronaut's suit. So what's up with the smell? Most importantly, it is a biological hazard. This makes it difficult to decide whether to keep it, return it to Earth (as it is not designed to transport bodies), or launch it into space.
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Many scientists suggest that if there is indeed death, it may be done in the same way as death in a submarine. When a crew member dies, no captain will immediately order the ship to dock. So the body is kept near the torpedo. This is the coldest and most isolated area of living quarters.
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Likewise, the space station crew may need to keep bodies in the coldest places on the station and in pressurized suits. To reduce the effect of odors and bacteria
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“I might put them down[الجثث]In a pressurized suit. In fact, the body decomposes faster than a spacesuit. “We don't want the smell of rotting flesh or unclean gas, so we'll keep the suit in a cool place on the station,” Hadfield said. “Save it until one of the ships returns home. They will have third-class seats on the ship.”
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Some agencies go further. Promessa, a Swedish eco-burial company, has come up with a new solution using a technique called “Promession” where the body dries until it hardens. Instead of turning the body into ashes through traditional cremation. Instead, it turns frozen corpses into millions of tiny pieces of ice.
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The process can be a little scary. It will use a robotic arm to suspend the body inside a suitcase outside the spacecraft. To allow the cold of space to harden the carcass until it becomes brittle. The robot's arms then shake, causing the body to shatter into ash-like debris. This allowed the other crew on the ship to preserve this “corpse” for many years, odorless and harmless. Here's how it would work if your virtual astronaut died during a spaceship flight.
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But what if we died on another planet?
Buried like Mars
Elon Musk (Elon Musk) once posted on his social network explicitly saying that “If you want to go to Mars” prepare to die. “And it seems that way. The trip to Mars took a very long time. And things could also go wrong at any time and in any condition, as many films clearly indicate.”
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If someone died while going to Mars or staying on Mars it might be a better idea to keep them there. “I think if the crew died while on Mars, we would bury them there instead of bringing the bodies back home,” Hadfield said.
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The ship has no morgue. The space station on Mars does not have such a room either. Therefore, burying it on Mars is the remaining option. But many experts are concerned about planetary pollution. Because every regulation says that “Earth microorganisms should not be transported to other planets,” so to speak, let alone corpses filled with tiny bacteria.
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For this reason, all spacecraft and spacecraft are frequently cleaned and disinfected before launch to help protect outer space from invading Earth bacteria. On the other hand, transporting bodies to Earth is also difficult. Therefore, this issue may be “yuan”.
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“With regard to the disposal of organic materials (including corpses) on Mars, we do not impose any restrictions as long as terrestrial microorganisms are killed,” said Katherine Connelly of NASA's Planetary Conservation Agency, “hence cremation is necessary.” .
Prepare for the worst.
In fact, NASA has not published a formal contingency plan for cadavers. But they knew they had to be in place to deal with the loss of the crew. As we enter the era of space exploration filled with rocket launches. There will definitely be more such cases that everyone will think about.
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“Exploration has always killed people. I'm sure that will always be the case,” shuttle astronaut Mike Massimino said.
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Thinking about your options regarding death in space can help everyone prepare more consciously for the unexpected. Humans tend to adapt quickly to this event. And keep moving forward just like the journey to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Every climber knows the risks. And someone always dies. But a firm heart and conscious confrontation will help everything work out as it should.
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“If you climb Everest you will know that if you die you will be left there,” says bioethicist Paul Wolpe. “There will be no funeral there. There is no storage space. And he has not been dropped. Hundreds of bodies lie on the mountain, reminding a new generation of climbers how dangerous life is.” But humans are still progressing.
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“You have to accept that,” Volpe said. “This is part of climbing Mount Everest.”
Researched and edited by Witit Borompichaichartkul
Origin
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https://www.sciencefocus.com/space/would-a-corpse-decay-in-space
https://theconversation.com/death-in-space-heres-what-would-happen-to-our-bodies-169890
https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/what-would-happen-to-a-dead-body-in-space
https://www.popsci.com/what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-die-in-space/
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