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by SamAtt 5863 days ago
I don't know. Dying sucks no matter where it happens but once you come to terms with that I think it would be kind of neat. I can't imagine they didn't have some kind of suicide pill to avoid an unpleasant death (probably couldn't be a pill but some kind of syringe or something). So they wouldn't suffocate.

Assuming that's true I think drifting to sleep underneath the Earth in the same way people on earth drift to sleep underneath the moon would be pretty darn awesome.
2 comments
Luc 5863 days ago
This 'suicide pill' is a myth. The moon-astronauts (e.g. Buzz Aldrin) have been asked on several occasions and denied its existence.

I remember an interview with Aldrin where he was asked how he would have spent his last moments in case he got stranded on the moon, and he answered he'd be trying to get the engine working :)

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Zaak 5863 days ago
Not to be morbid or anything, but the only painful part of suffocation is excess carbon dioxide. In a pure nitrogen atmosphere you'd be in a good mood for a couple of minutes, then lose consciousness and never wake up.

I have no idea if that sort of thing was available on the moon missions, but it would probably the most convenient option if you've got nitrogen available.

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Luc 5863 days ago
On that subject, there is a great documentary with former British MP Michael Portillo about humane death penalty methods:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8068091823725414405...

He comes to the conclusion nitrogen would be the most humane (euphoria, then painless death). Apparantly it won't get used because those states that still use the death penalty find this way of leaving the temporary for the infinite a bit too easy on the convicted... (forward to 45:30 in the video).

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