Death is something that affects all people equally. According to many, if there is an immutable truth in this world, we will all end up dying, although there are scientists fighting for the human being to achieve immortality. However, when we talk about space, things change a lot.
Have you ever wondered what happens if an astronaut dies in space? What do you think NASA does with your body? Is there any kind of protocol related to this terrible event? We will try to answer all these disturbing questions.
What does NASA do with the body of an astronaut who dies off Earth?
Recently, astronaut Mike Massimino talked about this issue in a program. When asked if there was any kind of protocol in this regard, the specialist answered that although no specific ritual was being done, they do train different extreme scenarios.
On the other hand, the author of the book «Guide to live in the Earth of an astronaut» Chris Hadfield does explain that there is an exercise called «Death sim», something like a death simulator, created to prepare the crew in case to have to react to this tragic event of a member of the crew.
However, NASA has specific plans, since the trips to Mars and long-term missions and risk are getting closer. They will be months and years in a ship on the way to a remote planet, so they must take care of any contingency. And not only them, but other companies such as SpaceX or Mars One.
So, what does NASA do with the dead body of the astronaut?
It seems logical to think that it would be best to leave the body in space, but regardless of whether it is ethical or not, it is prohibited by current legislation.
However, keeping the astronaut's body aboard the ship can be very dangerous, especially for the mental health of the crew, which could be in danger.
So NASA has found an intermediate idea with the collaboration of the company Promessa, and is called something like Body Back, in English, «Body Back».
This kind of technique consists of an airtight bag where a human body is enclosed and then exposed to the freezing temperatures of outer space so that it gradually disintegrates.
We can not know if it is a good idea or not, because it is evident that death is a sinuous issue. But at the moment it is the one that NASA puts into practice.