NASA Discovers What Happens If Someone Dies in Space: 'Everyone Must Be Prepared for the Worst'

As humanity ventures further into space, NASA is meticulously planning for the most somber of eventualities: the death of an astronaut. With missions becoming more ambitious, the risk of fatal accidents, from technical failures to sudden pressure drops, increases. While 18 people have died in space to date, all were part of crews where the entire team perished, negating the need for specific protocols for a single fatality.

However, with NASA's sights set on a Mars mission in the 2030s, detailed plans for handling a deceased crew member are crucial. A technical document released by NASA addresses mortality in space, emphasizing the need for robust plans to protect the remaining crew, determine the cause of death, and ensure respectful treatment of the remains. The primary challenge, according to the report, is safeguarding the health and well-being of the surviving astronauts.

The closed environment of a spacecraft presents a unique biological hazard. The decomposition process can release harmful byproducts or pathogens, potentially contaminating the air and equipment. To mitigate this, NASA recommends specialized training for astronauts in handling deceased crew members, including methods for long-term storage. The report underscores that natural decomposition processes limit the time available for such actions, and ambient conditions in space, such as temperature and pressure, further influence the rate of decay.

Procedures vary depending on the circumstances. If an astronaut dies during a spacewalk, the body would be stored in the coldest section of the International Space Station (ISS) until return to Earth. For a death on the Moon, retrieval could be relatively swift. However, for long-duration missions like a trip to Mars, the body would need to be preserved in specialized bags or hermetically sealed chambers until a return journey is feasible. Disposing of a body in space is prohibited by international agreements on space debris and raises ethical concerns, necessitating a balance between crew safety, respect for the deceased, and environmental preservation.

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The biggest challenge would be to ensure the safety and health of the surviving crew members.