President Richard M. Nixon was prepared for Neil Armstrong and the other Apollo 11 astronauts to die on the moon in 1969. Written in an old memo titled “In Event of Moon Disaster,” he said the “men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace.” Thankfully, Nixon didn’t need it. So, when someone dies in space, what happens to the body? The first priority is the safety of the surviving crew, since a decomposing body in the sealed environment of a spacecraft becomes a biohazard. Maintaining dignity for the deceased is equally central to the protocol. If a fatality were to occur aboard the International Space Station, the deceased astronaut would typically be stored in cold conditions and later returned to earth in a capsule within hours or days. NASA has considered alternatives such as earth-orbit burial or even releasing the body into space, though these options present ethical, legal and environmental complications. The preferred approach is to ensure rapid repatriation so earth-based mortuary practices can be followed. If a death occurred during a lunar mission, the crew could return to earth with the body within a few days. Preservation of the remains wouldn’t be a major concern, given the relatively short journey. The focus would remain on crew safety and the safe transport of the deceased. Burial on the lunar surface has been considered, but the possibility of contaminating the moon with terrestrial microbes makes it highly unlikely. If an astronaut were to step outside a spacecraft on the moon or Mars without a spacesuit, the outcome would be immediate and fatal. In the vacuum of space, the lack of air pressure would cause blood and bodily fluids to boil, while suffocation would follow within seconds. Such scenarios, though rare, highlight the absolute necessity of spacesuit integrity during all extravehicular activities.
