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A team of forensic scientists is preparing for the possibility of a murder in outer space and recently conducted an experiment to see how blood splatters in zero gravity.
Zack Kowalske joined a team of forensics scientists from Staffordshire University and the University of Hull aboard the "Vomit Comet," a modified Boeing 727 parabolic aircraft designed to simulate periods of microgravity, as part of his PhD research.
"Where humanity goes, so too will human behavior," Kowalske, a crime scene investigator for the police department in Roswell, Georgia, told Fox News. "So, being able to understand how to best reconstruct those criminal acts is really important."
The scientists used a hydraulic syringe to shoot fake blood droplets at paper pieces while floating inside the aircraft.
They were surprised that blood splatter patterns in zero gravity were smaller than those under the normal pull of Earth's gravity.
"What happened is when you remove gravity, surface tension becomes the predominant factor," Kowalske explained. "So, it actually inhibits the spread of that blood, causing an inaccuracy in your calculation."
Kowalske said that his research will be essential as more and more people venture into space and begin to live in orbital modules or on other planets.
"With the rate of technological evolution in space exploration advancing humanity's pioneering into the extraterrestrial frontier, the need for reliable forensic science techniques will become increasingly important. Although the effects of microgravity present unique challenges for investigators, understanding the variables and physical forces at play can lead to a more reliable interpretation of bloodstain patterns both on and off Earth," the researchers wrote in their study.