What happens to our body if we die in space? In fact, many people think about the answer to this question. Because space travel and even staying in space for a while is getting easier and easier. For example, companies Blue Origin, SpaceX and Virgin Galactic made their first flights for space tourism this year.
After billionaires, ultra-rich and actors like William Shatner, who went to space for ‘tourism’ purposes, dreams of going to space are now closer. Because this year, the successive flights of companies will certainly not be the last. Billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos say they want to reduce space tourism to lower costs.
What happens to our bodies when we die on earth?
Since space travel for tourism purposes is now possible, we may reach the periods when we travel to other planets for vacation in the coming years. There may even be the possibility of living on another planet. With these developments, we begin to think about what life and death would be like in space.
So what happens if we die in space? For example, the human body after death in the world goes through a process of decomposition. In 1247, Song Ci wrote about this process in his book The Washing Away of Wrongs. According to the contents of The Conversation, first blood flow stops and livor mortis begins. That is, as a result of gravity, blood accumulates and the color of the skin changes to purple-red colors.
The body then cools (algor mortis) and the muscles stiffen (rigor mortis) due to uncontrolled calcium buildup in the muscle fibers. Enzymes then break down the cell walls. However, bacteria in our intestines spread throughout the body, damaging soft tissues. The body begins to swell and rot and stink in the following hours.
While these decomposition processes are internal processes of our body, factors such as temperature, presence of other living things, burial, burning or mummification of the corpse affect the decomposition process.
What processes will our bodies go through if we die in space?
Now, let’s come to death in space. Which of the processes mentioned above can occur on other planets? Different gravity on other planets will definitely affect the livor mortis phase. The lack of gravity as our bodies float in space means that blood will not accumulate.
While the livor mortis process is affected by the space environment, rigor mortis will occur in our body in the spacesuit. Because there is no reason to stop the factors that will affect the hardening of the muscles. Meanwhile, rigor mortis goes away about 36 hours after death.
However, if we die in space, the bacteria in the gut will still damage our soft tissues. This causes it to rot, stink, and the gas released makes the body swell. However, limited air resources slow the process considerably, as these bacteria need oxygen to function properly.
Microbes in the soil also help decomposition in the world. However, other planetary environments that inhibit microbial action, such as excessive dryness, increase the likelihood of soft tissue preservation. So it slows down the decay.
Weathering in extraterrestrial conditions also affects external factors such as the skeleton. When we are alive, bone is a living substance composed of both organic matter such as blood vessels and collagen, and inorganic substances in a crystalline structure. Normally, the organic component decomposes. For example, the skeletons we see in museums are generally inorganic remains. But in highly acidic soils on other planets, the opposite can happen. That is, the inorganic component can be destroyed leaving only soft tissues.
Environmental factors after death in space
The decomposition of human remains on Earth forms part of the ecosystem. For example, it is recycled by living organisms such as insects, microbes and even plants. This shows a balanced system of our world. But if we die in space, the situation will change.
In space, there are no insects and scavengers on other planets, at least as far as we know. This means that our bodies will not be recycled. But the dry desert-like conditions of Mars can affect our bodies. Because there is a possibility that the soft tissues will dry out and perhaps the sediment blown by the wind will erode the skeleton and damage it.
Temperature is also an important factor in decomposition. For example, the temperature on the Moon ranges from 120°C to -170°C. Therefore, objects are faced with the possibility of change or freezing. As we come to the end of the content, our bodies will be protected for a longer period of time compared to here, probably because there are not as many factors as in Earth conditions. However, unlike Earth, on other planets, sunlight will cause serious damage to our skin.
Our bodies can become “aliens” in space. Also, if we ever set up bases on other planets, we may need to find methods of burial. By the way, let me also point out that there are different opinions on this subject. Of course, the spacesuit, the planet or location of the body will affect the process.
We welcome your comments on this topic…
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