Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
Human death in outer space may not be unusual in the future given that more and more missions have been scheduled and space tourism will become more and more commonplace. The conditions of human death in a gravityless world are very different from Earth’s, therefore the handling is also special.
This means humans are starting to think about what it would be like to live there and what the conditions would be if they were destined to die in outer space.
When humans die on earth, the body undergoes several stages of decay. This has been discussed in Song Ci’s book The Washing Away of Wrongs in early 1274 which was the first handbook of forensic science.
Blood in the body slowly stops flowing and begins to pool due to gravity, this process is known as bruises of death. Then the body becomes cold which is called stage algorithm died.
Furthermore, the muscles become stiff due to uncontrolled accumulation of calcium in the muscle fibers, this stage is referred to as rigor mortis.
At the same time the bacteria in the human gut slowly get out and spread throughout the body. Bacteria devour soft tissue so that the body decomposes and the gases released make the body swell.
The decomposition process is an intrinsic factor. However, there are also external factors that affect the decomposition process, including temperature, insect activity, burying or wrapping the body, and the presence of fire or water.
Then, what is the condition of humans if they die in outer space?
The condition of humans dying in outer space
Little or no gravity beyond Earth must have an impact on the stage bruises moritis. This can cause blood that has stopped circulating not to collect in one place.
Quoted from The Next Web, in astronaut costumes, rigor mortis will still occur because it is a result of the cessation of body functions.
Bacteria from the gut will still devour soft tissue but these bacteria need oxygen to function properly, so a limited supply of air will slow down the process significantly.
Decomposition under conditions very different from Earth’s environment means external factors will be more complicated.
Microbes from the soil aid in decomposition, so any planetary environment that inhibits microbial action, such as extreme drought, increases the likelihood of soft tissue preservation.
Quoted Daily Star, usually organic components will decompose, so the bones we see in museums are mostly inorganic remains.
On Earth, the decomposition of human remains is part of a balanced ecosystem where nutrients are recycled by living organisms, such as insects, microbes, and even plants.
Environments such as those in outer space are said to have not evolved to use our bodies in the same efficient way. Insects and scavengers do not exist on any other planet in our system.
Mars’ dry desert-like conditions may mean that soft tissues will dry out, and perhaps wind-blown sediments will erode and break bones like we see on Earth.
Temperature is also a key factor in decomposition. On the Moon, for example, temperatures can range from 120 degrees Celsius to -170 degrees Celsius.
Therefore the body may show signs of changes caused by heat or damage from freezing.
If a human body is near a star or other heat source, it will slowly dry out and be effectively mummified.
If the body is in the shadow of an asteroid or other cold object, then it will freeze as the heat slowly leaves the body.
After all, if there were no collisions with other space debris, the corpse would survive almost indefinitely, floating in the infinite darkness of space for hundreds of millions of years.
Cemetery in Space
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