What happens to an astronaut’s body? NASA’s eerie death-in-space protocols explained
Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Space Mortality
Astronaut deaths in space are meticulously planned for by NASA, including simulations for handling remains and ensuring crew safety, as shared by former ISS commander Chris Hadfield.
Grim Procedures
If an astronaut dies during a spacewalk, the priority is retrieving the body and sealing it in the suit to avoid contamination, creating a makeshift morgue in the ISS's coldest areas.
Credit: NASA
Bleak Options
NASA outlines three main ways to handle a body: return to Earth, destructive re-entry, or jettisoning into space—each fraught with ethical, legal, and logistical challenges.
Credit: NASA
Frozen Fragments
Researchers proposed freezing bodies in space’s frigid temperatures and vibrating them into fragments using robotic arms, a chilling yet practical solution for limited space and contamination concerns.
Lunar Dilemma
On the Moon, without bacteria or moisture, a body would remain preserved, but leaving it violates planetary protection rules, requiring the remains to be retrieved.
Contamination Threat
The decomposition process in pressurized suits can release harmful gases and odors, making it critical to isolate the body to protect the living crew.
Ethical Conundrum
Jettisoning a body into space seems practical but conflicts with international space debris agreements and raises diplomatic and moral questions.
Emotional Toll
Death in space is not just a logistical nightmare but a profound psychological strain on astronauts, amplifying the isolation and existential weight of missions.
Last Hope
NASA’s protocols emphasize one simple truth: the best-case scenario is for astronauts to survive their missions and return home alive.