What Happens When We Die in Space?
As life in space, a concept once so foreign and abstract, has become a trend for the wealthy (and soon for more if the cost of space joyrides begins to reduce), our discussion on death in space is becoming inevitable. A recent Scientific American article which raises a question on the fate of dead astronauts in space, starting a forum on various topics, many of which involve ethical dilemmas, regarding procedures and policies on handling dead bodies.
NASA has designed special body bags and specific procedures for astronauts to follow in response to death outside our atmosphere. The body essentially becomes an unconsented experiment for NASA scientists, who are to figure out the effects of space on the human body alongside what may have caused the death. While taking bodies and using them for experimental progress may progress our understanding of space and humanity in a new light, death cannot be simply defined as the end of the life of an organism. Death embraces more than a biological definition.
It is not just a scientific process that happens to living things; it has social implications that go much further than affecting only the person who has passed away. Subsequently, their deaths should not be treated as experimental data to work with.
The Scientific American article states: “When [death] happens, it won’t just be a tragedy. It will be a test. A test of our systems, our ethics and our ability to adapt to a new dimension of mortality.” Given the little systems and preparations in place for handling death out in space, when it inevitably happens, we must be prepared for how to handle it appropriately.
Countries have different laws relating to death; however in the uncharted territory of space, which laws should we apply to each death? How and where should the body be returned? What happens if someone is killed out in space? Although many treaties and pacts outline how border issues and behavior should be handled in space, there are currently no agreements on protocols for handling death.
A global common consensus on handling and respecting death in space needs to be finalized, especially as more and more astronauts head into space each year before it is too late.
Rules must clearly detail what will happen to the astronaut. Bodies can be handled by law of the origin of where the spacecraft was launched to eliminate unnecessary confusions and tensions. Even simple clarifications such as these will make the lives (and deaths) of astronauts and the scientists, NASA executives, political leaders, lawmakers behind them much simpler.
