Aug 11, 2009

Posted by in Mars, NASA, current

When should an astronaut be left to die?

Ideally, never. Nonetheless, NASA has to ask those questions…and they have a “space ethicist” to answer them.

The New York Times interviewed Paul Wolpe, the bioethicist who handles such question for the space agency. Among Wolpe’s observations:

Ed White: Survived his Gemini 4 space walk

Ed White: Survived his Gemini 4 space walk

Regarding radiation exposure:

  • astronauts, by the nature of their work, are subject to much higher levels of radiation than other people; NASA sets an upper limit of exposure of lifetime exposure
  • one astronaut who was close to the limit received additional radiation for cancer treatments; he wanted that radiation to “not count.” But NASA decided it did count.
  • my question: does NASA have an active astronaut who has cancer?

Regarding an incapacitated astronaut:

  • Volpe notes that soldiers go to great lengths to save a wounded soldier or even to retrieve a dead soldier
  • the rules for spaceflight are, he suggests, different; a dead astronaut on Mars should be left in place because bringing him back would endanger the other astronauts and the mission

Astronauts, of course, have had to think about such problems in the past. For example, Jim Divitt was prepared—if necessary—to cut his spacewalking colleague loose and let him float away…if  Ed White had not survived his spacewalk. Happily, that proved to be unnecessary.

And Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins was prepared to return to earth alone, if Armstrong and Aldrin had been unable to leave the moon.

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  • Volker

    Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins was not the only one who was prepared for the case of Armstrong and Aldrin being unable to leave the moon. Here is the speech prepared for President Nixon for that very case.

    In my opinion, this speech, written by columnist and presidential speechwriter Bill Safire is a brilliant testimony to the Moon program:

    “Faith has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon rest in peace.
    These brave men, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, know that there is no hope for their recovery. But they also know that there is hope for mankind in their sacrifice.
    These two men are laying down their lives in mankind’s most noble goal: to search for truth and understanding.
    They will be mourned by their families and friends; they will be mourned by their nation; they will be mourned by the people of the world; they will be mourned by a Mother Earth that dared send two of her sons into the unknown.
    In their exploration, they stirred the people of the world to feel as one; in their sacrifice, they bind more tightly the brotherhood of man.
    In ancient days, men looked at stars and saw their heroes in the constellations. In modern times, we do much the same, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood.
    Others will follow, and surely find their way home. Man’s search will not be denied. But these men were the first, and they will remain the foremost in our hearts.
    For every human being who looks up at the moon in the nights to come will know that there is some corner of another world that is forever mankind.”

    You can see the complete memo at
    http://gawker.com/5369364/william-safires-finest-speech