Death by starvation isn’t this person’s fate, is it? I wouldn’t think it would take more than a few days or maybe even hours for the debris to land. I’d just sit there in existential horror while trying enjoying the view, waiting to get taken out instantly by some giant chunk of the mantle landing on my head. Of course that’s mostly because I’d be too afraid of the pain to take off my helmet.
Actually, can you even take one of those helmets off without equalized air pressure or is there a mechanical safety that locks it? If there’s a separate nitrogen tank and you have control over the mixture, just turning off the oxygen would be the way to go.
So, uh, is it a bad sign that I put that much thought into hypothetical ways to kms on the moon?
In this scenario, it would probably be the rational path forward, as you’re in a situation where you’re guaranteed to die either way. So why not make your death as painless as possible?
Depending on which mission this is it could be a lot shorter. The original PLSS backpacks had a two hour air supply. The LM was powered by batteries and could only sustain life for 48-72 hours depending on configuration. If they launch and rendezvous with the orbiting CSM, they can extend their survival by several days, but there’s functionally nowhere to go.
For my money the best way to go is probably in the suit, outside, and let the oxygen run out while the carbon dioxide scrubbers are still working.
