Burial in space

[lankeela]

Not sure if this is science or environment, but know you lot will have an opinion - seeing Stephen Hawking going into space made me wonder whether you could be sent into space when you are dead instead of filling up cemeteries or causing pollution by cremation! Would this be possible, and how long would your body last, or would it disintegrate? Bit spooky imagining astronauts looking out of the window and seeing someone float past.

Bet Stephen Hawking would like to go that way.

[wildwood]

Certainly not!
There is enough space-junk floating around the Earth now.

If shot into outerspace, I presume the body would last forever, unless it drifts too close to a star.

A far better way to dispose of bodies in an eco-friendly way is here

[burnhal]

Dont fancy having to pay the cost of the coffing that will blast you into space!

[burnhal]

even coffin!!

[lankeela]

"It wasn't the cough that carried him off, twas the coffin they carried him off in" (or should that be coffing?)

[divegirl]

How about this.....

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/04/02/dooha n.ashes.ap/index.html

Lisa x

[lankeela]

Beam me up Scotty!

[Teddio]

If you were launched into a low Earth orbit you would only stay there for a short time, months or years, due to atmospheric drag. This requires at least 17600mph of horizontal velocity from your rocket. If you were launched into interstellar space you would need the rocket to launch you at a speed of at least 25000mph relative to the Earth. Your body would quickly cool, eventually reaching a few degrees above absolute zero. You would be frozen solid and perectly preserved for millions of years. The probability of hitting another object, a planet or star, is extremely low. The amount of fuel and hardware required per launch would be enormous and would cost many millions of dollars.