[DogByte6RER]

Sex with alien life forms might lead to any early death in outer space as well!

[cripplecreek]

George Jettison.

[metmom]

Moral relativism raises its ugly head again.

[magslinger]

How do you get rid of the body of a dead astronaut on a three-year mission to Mars and back?

Have they considered freeze drying? Then they could just bring it back. With most of the water gone it would be much lighter and not offend anyone. Might be a bit of a shock if someone opened the wrong closet.

[Melinda]

A critically ill astronaut using up precious oxygen is a problem? It’s the same amount that would be available to him had he remained healthy, right?

[CholeraJoe]

Just like they buried Spock in one of the Star Trek movies. Strap him into a photon torpedo and fire him into space accompanied by bagpipe music.

[NCC-1701]

“...For now, astronauts and cosmonauts who become critically sick or injured at the International Space Station – something that has never happened...”

But it happened aboard either Salyut 6 or Salyut 7. One of the Russian commanders got sick, sick enough to have commend transferred to someone else. That mission had to end early. I can’t remember the flight but I remember the incident from reading about it. If I can find the flight, I’ll post it here.

[Redcloak]

The dead body question is easy: Chuck it out the airlock and call it a burial at sea. (Of course, you’d have to take care that the corpse achieves escape velocity or it will follow you all the way to Mars!)

[Spktyr]

Re: death in space: Um, unless the astronaut has requested otherwise, how about we simply adapt long-standing naval tradition (as sci-fi has already done) and have burial in space?

Failing that, wrap the corpse in a tarp or similar material and secure it to the outside of the orbiter hull until you're about to reenter earth orbit.

[cuz_it_aint_their_money]

How do you get rid of the body of a dead astronaut on a three-year mission to Mars and back?

The same way they got rid of dead sailors back in the days of sailing ships.
By "Commiting their remains to the deep."
Only in this case, "the deep" would be deep space.

[Young Werther]

NASA is not the "be all end all" when it comes to space exploration. Asimov, Clarke, and Heinlein have written about and suggested solutions to these issues.

When Lunar Colonies are established and years long Solar System expeditions are mounted, societal norms will be the guiding light not some NASA rocket scientist.

I remember onevscifi story where the population on a large space station had become divided into two classes. The upper class were the managers and workers while the "lower class" were those who were the "garbage class" since they recycled everything!!! Was a mortician someone who dealt with death? Was a pooptician someone who recycled Sheryl Crow material?? Get the point?

[umbagi]

When should the plug be pulled on a critically ill astronaut

It depends... Are we talking about a regular crew member, or an expendable "red shirt"?

[colorado tanker]

Williams said the question of sex in space is not a matter of crew health

I beg to differ!

[antiRepublicrat]

Williams said the question of sex in space is not a matter of crew health but a behavioral issue that will have to be taken up by others at NASA.

I think that could be a health issue given that someone could get pregnant.

[Tijeras_Slim]

How do you get rid of the body of a dead astronaut on a three-year mission to Mars and back?

Ron Popiel's Soylent-O-Matic!

[Hatteras]

People will pay good money to be buried in space.

[ArmstedFragg]

One word:

ZipLok

[Age of Reason]

Amundson and his sled dogs beat Scott and his tractors to the South Pole, because you can’t eat tractors.

[Paleo Conservative]

If you want on or off my aerospace ping list, please contact me by Freep mail.

[DogByte6RER]

ping