Synopsis
Here are the key points on mortality related to human spaceflight from the NASA technical brief:
- Crew fatalities during spaceflight could be caused by medical events, vehicle emergencies, insufficient resources, etc. Handling remains requires medical, psychological, ethical, religious, cultural, and legal considerations.
- Immediate concerns would be protecting surviving crew from biohazards as remains decompose in the closed vehicle environment.
- Pronouncement of death, death certificate filing, and determining cause of death present challenges. Forensic evidence may need collection.
- Disposition of remains options include returning to Earth, long-term storage, burial on planetary surface, or jettison from vehicle. Considerations include planetary protection and orbital mechanics.
- Psychological impacts on surviving crew who handle remains or perform procedures must be addressed, as well as impacts on families.
- Legal jurisdiction over investigations and remains is complex, involving international treaties and agreements between countries. Autopsies would be done per agency agreements.
- Environmental monitoring of gases released during decomposition is critical to crew health and safety. Proper storage inhibits decomposition.
- Transportation and handling of remains must account for decomposition stage as well as various mission phases and environments.
In summary, comprehensive pre-mission planning is essential to address medical, psychological, cultural, religious, legal, and practical aspects related to potential crew mortality during spaceflight.
