What would happen to corpses in a space shuttle?
The longest shuttle flight to date was less than three weeks. The oxygen would run out soon after that. Also you need plenty of fuel just to stay in orbit. The low orbit of the shuttle means that it decays quickly. The astronauts certainly would rot just like they would on earth. There are already plenty of bacteria just waiting for dinner. It is only the immune system that keeps them in check. Once you die they can feast. Without refrigeration they would smell pretty bad after three or four days. They would start leaking as the body is half water already. The enzymes would break down the flesh and the bacteria would chomp it up. Hopefully there will be no flies in space to lay eggs so no maggots. The smell would be truly horrendous. If I was there I’d take them into the airlock and boot them out into space.
