What Happens If Someone Dies in Space?
- Space.com
Astronauts would die instantly if they left without the protection of a spacesuit. The loss of pressure and exposure to the vacuum of space will leave astronauts unable to breathe. Blood and other body fluids will boil.
What would happen if an astronaut went to the Moon or Mars without a spacesuit? The Moon has almost no atmosphere, while Mars has a very thin atmosphere and almost no oxygen. So the result is almost the same as exposure in open space, namely suffocation and boiling blood.
Suppose an astronaut dies after landing while on the surface of Mars. Cremation is undesirable because it takes too much of the surviving crew's energy for other purposes. Burial is also not a good idea. Bacteria and other organisms from the body could contaminate the surface of Mars.
Instead, the crew will likely store the remains in special body bags until they can be returned to Earth.
Many still unknown about how the rovers will deal with death. It's not just about what to do with the remains.
Helping the crew cope with the loss, and assisting grieving families to return to Earth, is just as important as dealing with the bodies of the deceased.
However, to truly colonize another world – be it the Moon, Mars, or a planet beyond our solar system – these bad scenarios require careful planning and protocols.
