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This means the risk of a death in space from natural causes is very low, though not impossible.
But these have been specialist investigations into high-profile accidents and concerned only US spaceflight.
Many of the procedures associated with inquests and investigations could be imported from Earth.
Planning a mission to space includes considering factors like power, food, protection against radiation and waste disposal.
Here its important to take into account that different cultures treat their deadin very different ways.
On short missions, its likely the body would be brought back to Earth.
The body would need to be preserved and stored toavoid contaminationof the surviving crew.
But if we start to colonize outer space, bodies may need to be disposed of rather than stored.
AlthoughStar Trekfans may recall the waySpocks bodywas jettisoned into space, this probably wouldnt be desirable in real life.
The family of the deceased might want their loved ones body returned to them.
Disposal of human remains on a colony is similarly fraught.
The body of a settler buried on another planet maybiologically contaminatethat planet.
Cremation is also likely to contaminate, and could be resource-intensive.
In time, there will undoubtedly be technical solutions to the storage and disposal of human remains in space.
But the ethical issues around death in space cut across anthropological, legal and cultural boundaries.
