Have you wondered what would happen if an astronaut died on the International Space Station? What if he did it on any other space mission? Here are some of the keys to understand the procedure that would be followed.
Any astronaut who embarks on a space exploration mission is no stranger to the possible problems that may occur. It is true that history tells us about very few fatal accidents, but the possibility is always there. Did you know that there is a protocol action in case of death of an astronaut in space and, more specifically, on the International Space Station (ISS)? There is an action mechanism that would be activated automatically after this event occurs.
Let’s see, therefore, how we would act quickly to avoid any possible problem, What should the expedition that was present do? and, of course, to what extent we are faced with an alternative that could occur in the future. It is a question that you most likely had not considered, but the truth is that this event can always occur. This would be what would happen depending on the place where the death occurred.
If an astronaut died in space, this would be the protocol to follow
The most relevant Space Agencies, such as NASA, have action mechanisms and protocols to deal with emergency situations like this. Of course, the way to act varies depending on the place where the astronaut’s death occurred. In the event that it occurred on the International Space Station, the rest of the crew could send the mortal remains of the deceased in a capsule bound for Earth. NASA, for example, has your own action protocol.
Now, what if these events took place, for example, on the Moon? It is important to remember that operational bases are expected to be established on our natural satellite in the coming decades. If necessary, a return expedition would be commanded to bring back the body of the deceased person. Death occurring on the ISS or the Moon, there would be no risk related to the preservation of the body. Now, what if the event occurred a little further away? The next objective we set is Mars.
At a distance of 225 million kilometers from Earth, the return trip from Mars would be much more complicated. In these cases, a space would be enabled at a certain temperature to prevent tissue putrefaction. This is how the duration of the mission would pass. Back on Earth, the operation would be carried out to complete the burial or cremation process. It would be a slow process, but death would not limit the mission’s ability to carry out the work requested of the rest of the expedition.
As you have seen, NASA and other specialized organizations have thought of everything. This is something that can happen at any time and, therefore, must be taken into account. This is one of the reasons why we will not see in the short and medium term space missions in which there is a single astronaut in charge of operations.