There are lots of interesting things to be learned about space, but even some things are unknown to astronauts themselves.
What happens when a person dies in space is one of these things. There is no official plan in place to suggest what would happen following these events, and it would be taken care of as and when the situation arises.
This might not be the answer that some people were booking for, but a death in space can happen in many different circumstances, and there might not always be a specific way to best deal with the situation.
Space is more complex than this, but we can give you a general idea of what you could expect.
In this article we are going to look at whether there are any human bodies in space, what would happen if someone were to die in space, and even how you can choose to have your remains taken into space when you die.
Are There Any Human Bodies in Space?
There are not any human bodies floating around in space as such, as those that have unfortunately died in space have been recovered and brought back to Earth.
Interestingly, as dangerous as it seems, only 21 people have died in spaces, and only 3 of these have been above the boundary between Earth and Space.
This number is lower than most people might have thought, considering that jetting off into space is a risky job. When there have been fatalities, they have involved the death of the entire crew, which means that no one person was left stranded in need of rescue.
The number of space-related deaths is expected to increase when it comes to the human mission to Mars, as people will be living there.
The 3 astronauts that have died in space are Georgy Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov, and Viktor Patsayev. They were the crew for the Soyiz 11 mission that took place in June of 1971.
During this mission, the spacecraft depressurized during preparations for re-entry, and all of these people died within a minute.
However, the bodies of these astronauts did not stay up in space, as they were recovered. The spacecraft re-entered the atmosphere and made a landing, and they were all given a state funeral.
What Would Happen if Someone Died In Space?
If an astronaut were to die in space, and their body was floating around in low Earth Orbit, the small amount of atmospheric drag at that altitude would cause the body to degrade over the course of a few years.
Eventually, it would burn up and disintegrate in the Earth’s atmosphere.
What Happens to Your Body After a Year in Space?
If you were to die deep in space, your body would not decompose in the way that it would down on Earth. This is due to the fact that there is no oxygen.
However, if you were near a source of heat, then your body would mummify, and if not, your body would freeze.
If your body was sealed in a space suit, it would decompose for as long as the oxygen lasted. Either way, your body would last for a very long time in space without any air to allow for weathering and degradation.
It is likely that your body would be floating around in space for millions of years.
What Would Happen if You Damaged Your Space Suit?
If something happened in space that tore through your space suit, you would die very quickly. The human body is not designed to be exposed to the conditions of space, and it is used to the Earth’s atmosphere.
As soon as the suit is damaged or compromised, the gases in your body would start to expand and all of the liquids in the body would turn to gas. The water is the muscles would turn to vapor, which would then collect under the skin.
Your body would then begin to expand to around twice its normal size, and the lack of pressure will also cause nitrogen in her blood to form gas bubbles, which would be extremely painful.
Thankfully, you would pass out in around 10 seconds, so you wouldn’t have to experience this for very long.
After this, your heart rate and blood pressure would plummet after around a minute and a half, and the blood can start to boil. The difference of pressure inside and outside your lungs would cause the lungs to rupture, and you would asphyxiate and die.
Can I Send My Dead Body Into Space?
You can send your remains into space through a project by Celestis. You can choose this method to celebrate your own life or the life of a loved one and have an epic space memorial.
You can plan this type of send-off for either yourself or a loved one, and it is thought that this will allow you those who knew you to look into the sky and remember you. It is a really nice sentiment and tribute to honor a loved one.
The process of doing so is relatively simple, but it will cost a lot of money. However, if this is something that you would love for your funeral, it can certainly be arranged. This way, you can be remembered in a creative way that allows you to travel the universe in the afterlife.
You can choose from a selection of space destinations, and plan an awe-inspiring space memorial with Celestis. Their aim with this is to provide eternal rest, in a unique way. There are four different destinations that you can choose from, which include:
- Earth Rise - Launch to Space & Return to Earth
- Earth Orbit - Launch into Earth Orbit
- Luna - Launch to Lunar Orbit or Surface
- Voyager - Launch into Deep Space
The prices start at $2,495, and they do offer flexible payment plans for those that cannot afford the total cost upfront. You can choose your final resting place from this available selection.
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