Composting deceased astronauts on planetary surfaces

Composting deceased astronauts on planetary surfaces

Two methods are proposed 1 involves anaerobic and the other aerobic compost made from agricultural wastes.

Both methods produce different gasses that are beneficial or problematic to the atmosphere in the planetary outpost. Compost gas output is used for air, propellant, and oxidizer. On Mars, it’s important to monitor garden refuse compost as to species to Atmosphere for health and harvest of compounds from the air for propellant and breathing.

Anaerobic and aerobic compost decomposition will vary the output of atmospheric species. Plant and Animal remains also alter and very atmospheric outputs to the greenhouse atmosphere.

andersen_et_al-_ghg_emissions_from_composting_self_archive Our hypothesis is that a small outpost on mars with a small human population is mostly composting garden wastes with some input from human and small animal biosolids.Anderson et al demonstrate garden composting to produce specific atmospheric gases under specified conditions.next it’s important to know the effects of composting on animal parts in a garden compost. This would most closely approximate the question of composting human cadavers in this way.

Many of these research papers discuss the presence or destruction of Prions, pathogens, and viruses in animal tissue in an organic plant material compost.

laurenweber2010

intech-on_farm_composting_of_dead_stock

Composting: an alternative for livestock manure management and disposal of dead animals

We think on a Mars colony there would be the machinery for the production of cryogenic fluids for breathing and propellants and oxidizer and it’s these that provide an opportunity to freeze any deceased astronaut and to produce many small particulates for even distribution in a compost by shattering and grinding the remains to a sand-like consistency. This would allow a rapid aerobic decomposition. Nitrogen freezing and rapid decomposition of the small fragments would eliminate many of the concerns and inefficiencies of composting large objects mentioned in the research papers seen here.

ceremonial concerns could be met with a pit or shallow grave filled with compost  and the planting of a tree, a fruit tree would provide that final test or experiment as to the presence of any pathogens transmitted from the compost to the fruit( seems extremely unlikely) The tree would be the marker for our fallen astronaut.I have always wondered what geometry and height a tree would grow to in reduced gravity.I took a Botany course at St Clair Community college in 2012 and my Parents were members of the Sierra Club in the 1940’s

EDIT 17 July 2018

there is a company that does what they call Cryomation

Cryomation