Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

pepinyourstep29 t1_j2x8i99 wrote

Reply to comment by lunakat6 in Ask Anything Wednesday - Physics, Astronomy, Earth and Planetary Science by AutoModerator

The body would be subject to the same laws of physics as anything else. Assuming an airtight seal, it would experience minor degradation as it would allow microorganisms present to decompose it for a time before death. A non-airtight seal allows particles to escape, and assuming all microorganisms present die, the body would remain in a preserved state. There would be nothing left to continue the process of decomposition.

Biggest obstacle for leaving the solar system is time. We have the technology to travel across space. We just won't get anywhere in the same lifetime. This is why most science fiction solves this problem with warp drives to teleport across vast distances, cryostasis to wait it out, or use generational ships (where the crew's grandchildren are the ones who arrive at the destination). We currently do not have viable versions of those sci-fi solutions. So the biggest obstacle is overcoming the long trip duration.

5

lunakat6 t1_j2x9oul wrote

Yea but I’m dead. Time doesn’t matter to me, at all. What I more mean to ask is like would it be impossible to get past the asteroid belt or Jupiter’s gravity or some obstacle I don’t know about.

2

pepinyourstep29 t1_j2xbncw wrote

No, those are all obstacles we've already overcome with space probes. Biggest obstacle is just time.

Also I didn't realize your question was about sending a dead body out of the solar system lol

We've sent probes outside of the solar system already. Wouldn't be hard to send an inert coffin the same way.

5

lunakat6 t1_j2xcpzb wrote

Cool. Thanks. So just shot me off into the unknown when my time comes.

1

mfb- t1_j2xueou wrote

An expendable Falcon Heavy can do that on a direct route (no course corrections needed) for $150 million or so.

A partially reusable Falcon Heavy or even smaller rockets can do it with fly-by maneuvers, but then you need course corrections on the way to aim more precisely, which means you need some sort of active spacecraft. The launch gets cheaper but the spacecraft will cost something.

2

lunakat6 t1_j2xvo8d wrote

I think I only really need a lift on a shuttle. No need to waste earths resources/money on a probe or anything. Just open the doors and chuck me out. Or shoot me out like a torpedo.

1