What would happen to a dead body in space?

Latest Science & Tech Team TabloidPK July 9, 2024 0 Comments 63 Views

What would happen to a dead body in space?

Did you ever wonder what would happen to the dead body lying in space, if yes, then this article is for you to read. Just imagine for a minute if an astronaut suddenly falls during a spacewalk and dies of cardiac arrest within some minutes.

Fortunately, this has never happened. However, there have been 21 space deaths due to spacecraft breakdowns instead of health problems. It resulted in the death of the entire crew.

However, if a crew member did pass away while there were still people in space to dispose of a dead body to avoid contamination as it started to decompose. But in another scenario, what would happen to a dead body in space in the absence of other people who could not be available to dispose of it?

What would happen to a dead body in space — *The absence of oxygen and bacteria cannot decompose dead body in space*

Jimmy Wu is chief engineer at the Translational Research Institute for Space Health at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas. He sheds light on this hypothetical scenario.

He stated any liquid from the dead body’s surface, including skin, eyes, mouth, ears, and lungs, would instantly convert into gas in the low-pressure vacuum of space.

*The water present in a dead body will freeze and make it mummified due to space temperature*

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Jimmy also revealed blood veins near the body’s outer layer could burst and bleed after death in space. Space has a very low temperature of minus 544.81 degrees Fahrenheit, which would cause the remaining water in the body to freeze.

Hence, freezing with liquid loss from a dead body could result in a mummified state. It effectively keeps the body intact. According to Jimmy, it might look like some dehydrated body type lying in space.

This is what would happen to any astronaut who was exposed to space without a spacesuit. The dead body in space would not decompose like on Earth due to the absence of bacteria and oxygen.