# What do they do if an astronaut dies on the ISS? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 24, 2020, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-if-an-astronaut-dies-on-the-iss/850166 "2020-03-24T10:29:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-if-an-astronaut-dies-on-the-iss/850166/21 "2020-03-25T02:55:06Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > related : there was a woman Dr. who got cancer at the south pole in their winter (our summer) and she treated herself and they could not fly her out right away. They flew her out as soon as they could which was earlier than they would normally have flights to the south pole. And they said it would have been easier to get her back from outer space. > **[Jerri Nielsen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerri_Nielsen)** > > Jerri Lin Nielsen (née Cahill; March 1, 1952 – June 23, 2009) was an American physician with extensive emergency room experience, who self-treated her breast cancer while stationed at Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica until she could be evacuated safely. > In 1998, during the southern winter, at a time when the station is physically cut off from the rest of the world, she developed breast cancer. Nielsen teleconferenced with medical personnel in the United States and had to operate o... ---
**Author:** ![steepone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@steepone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steepone)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-if-an-astronaut-dies-on-the-iss/850166/22 "2020-03-25T07:28:36Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It would depend in multiple ways on how the astronaut died. If the astronaut died of some sickness, they would probably want a full autopsy, to determine what exactly was the cause of death, if it’s likely to have been contagious to the other crew members, etc. On the other hand, if they died of some sort of trauma, then the cause of death would be obvious… but then they’d have to ask if whatever accident caused that trauma would also be a risk to the remaining crew members. That might mean shutting down some of the things they’re doing, or it might mean shutting down the whole station and bringing everyone back, depending on what caused the accident. And if it’s murder we get a new NCIS series, “NASA Criminal Investigation Service” ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-if-an-astronaut-dies-on-the-iss/850166/23 "2020-03-25T07:36:23Z")
What an intriguing question! I decided to look it up. And I found [the answer](https://www.businessinsider.com/what-if-someone-dies-in-space-2015-4): _NASA shrugs_ “Dunno!” There really is no provision for a corpse in space. Since NASA does such thorough physical screenings and astronauts are only on the space station 6 months, they’re banking on prevention. One option that’s out: dumping the body in space. There’s a UN agreement that bans dumping anything into space because it could hit a satellite or other craft. And something must be done with the body within 24 hours to avoid contamination. One intriguing proposal comes from Promessa, a green burial company. It’s called the[Body Back](https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/4wmg7p/what-would-a-space-funeral-look-like)and is a GoreTex zip-up coffin. The body is placed inside, the “coffin” inflates, and then, after a brief funeral, the body is quick-frozen inside the airlock (-270C.), after which a robotic arm shakes it into human dust. Water vapor is evaporated, and the coffin is kept outside until just before re-entry. It folds itself into a neat square package. The plan is designed for a spacecraft, not the ISS, and how doable this is remains to be seen. So far, though, it’s all NASA’s got. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-if-an-astronaut-dies-on-the-iss/850166/24 "2020-03-25T13:40:27Z")
Anyone who’s planning on a robot arm “shaking a body into dust” is seriously overestimating the speed of the robotic arms on the Space Station. If you watch carefully, you can see them moving. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-if-an-astronaut-dies-on-the-iss/850166/25 "2020-03-25T17:30:46Z")
Can the ISS “function” without a crew? Can we leave it up there, empty, for weeks or months, without it falling into disrepair? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-if-an-astronaut-dies-on-the-iss/850166/26 "2020-03-25T17:51:32Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > To take down a dead body it could require everyone come down Re-Entry To Bernie’s ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-if-an-astronaut-dies-on-the-iss/850166/27 "2020-03-25T19:58:36Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Anyone who’s planning on a robot arm “shaking a body into dust” is seriously overestimating the speed of the robotic arms on the Space Station. If you watch carefully, you can see them moving. Howard Wolowitz built a robot arm that appears to be capable of more vigorous shaking. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![icbm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@icbm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icbm)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2020, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-if-an-astronaut-dies-on-the-iss/850166/28 "2020-03-25T21:23:27Z")
Astronaut Chris Hadfield’s book, An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth had portions about death during a space mission. I haven’t got the book nearby to find the relevant chapter(s) but I remember reading that it was certainly a possibility that has a plan in place. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-if-an-astronaut-dies-on-the-iss/850166/29 "2020-03-26T01:30:23Z")
> [@steepone](#): > > And if it’s murder we get a new NCIS series, “NASA Criminal Investigation Service” This book convinced me that we will never have interplanetary or -stellar space travel, unless the speed of light can somehow be circumvented. She told a story about a space mission that was cut short; she doesn’t say who it was or what the news media was told, but the astronauts were brought back early because Mission Control seriously feared they would kill each other. There was also another one where an astronaut was slated to do a long-term mission, and s/he too had to be brought back early, because in this case s/he was rapidly going insane. > **[Amazon.com: Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void (Audible...](https://www.amazon.com/Packing-for-Mars-Mary-Roach-audiobook/dp/B003Y56QYC)** > > Amazon.com: Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void (Audible Audio Edition): Mary Roach, Sandra Burr, Brilliance Audio : Audible Books & Originals ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-if-an-astronaut-dies-on-the-iss/850166/30 "2020-03-26T04:14:34Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > This book convinced me that we will never have interplanetary or -stellar space travel, unless the speed of light can somehow be circumvented. She told a story about a space mission that was cut short; she doesn’t say who it was or what the news media was told, but the astronauts were brought back early because Mission Control seriously feared they would kill each other. There was also another one where an astronaut was slated to do a long-term mission, and s/he too had to be brought back early, because in this case s/he was rapidly going insane. > > [https://www.amazon.com/Packing-Mars-Curious-Science-Life/dp/B003Y56QYC/ref=sr\_1\_1?dchild=1&keywords=packing+for+mars+mary+roach&qid=1585186209&sr=8-1](https://www.amazon.com/Packing-Mars-Curious-Science-Life/dp/B003Y56QYC/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=packing+for+mars+mary+roach&qid=1585186209&sr=8-1) Cure: Bigger spacecraft. Large, sexually diverse crews. Adequate drugs. A holodeck. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-if-an-astronaut-dies-on-the-iss/850166/31 "2020-03-26T15:24:32Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Gynecology seems like an odd choice of specialty for a doctor at the South Pole. Why? Because women aren’t supposed to go to the South Pole? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-if-an-astronaut-dies-on-the-iss/850166/32 "2020-03-26T16:02:43Z")
Because a doctor stationed at the South Pole is mostly going to be there to deal with emergencies (anything non-emergency will be dealt with by doctors in civilized areas), and gynecology, as a specialty, would not be relevant for most forms of medical emergencies. Gynecological problems are always with female patients (or at least, patients with female bodies). But most problems with female bodies aren’t gynecological. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-they-do-if-an-astronaut-dies-on-the-iss/850166.md?page=1)