What would happen if someone stepped outside into space without the protection of a spacesuit? The steady temperature and humidity inside the space vehicle would theoretically help preserve the body.īut all those scenarios would apply only if someone died in a pressurized environment, like a space station or a spacecraft. In the meantime, the crew would presumably preserve the body in a separate chamber or specialized body bag. Instead, the body would likely return to Earth along with the crew at the end of the mission, which would be a couple of years later. In that scenario, the crew probably wouldn’t be able to turn around and go back. Things would be different if an astronaut died during the 300 million-mile trip to Mars. 1 priority would be making sure the remaining crew returns safely to Earth. NASA already has detailed protocols in place for such events.īecause of that quick return, it’s likely that preservation of the body would not be NASA’s major concern instead, the No. If it happened on the Moon, the crew could return home with the body in just a few days. Here is how death in space would be handled today: If someone died on a low-Earth-orbit mission – such as aboard the International Space Station – the crew could return the body to Earth in a capsule within a matter of hours. janiecbros/E! via Getty Images Death on the Moon and MarsĪs a space medical doctor who works to find new ways to keep astronauts healthy, I and my team at the Translational Research Institute for Space Health want to make sure space explorers are as healthy as they can be for space missions. In the future, NASA and other space agencies, along with private industry, hope to establish colonies on Mars.
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