Recently, six astronauts from the United States were launched from Kennedy Space Center on a thirty-day...

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Recently, six astronauts from the United States were launched from Kennedy Space Center on a thirty-day mission to explore Mars. On the thirtieth (30) day, after the space explorers had gathered all of the information that they were sent to collect, they began their return to earth. On their return to earth however, a meteor brushed so closely to their rocket that all communications with mission control at the Kennedy Space Center were lost and the rocket was forced off its path into the orbit of Mars. Space center scientists back on Earth were stymied as to how to rescue the forlorn astronauts. As the scientists pondered the rescue plans, the six astronauts were quickly running out of provisions. On the fortieth (40) day in space, the six astronauts had depleted all of their food. At that point, the astronauts reasoned that the only way that they could further sustain themselves was to kill and consume one of their members. Thus, on that same day, five of the six astronauts decided to draw straws to decide who would be eaten. The one astronaut who refused to participate, Alvin Pack, was a vegetarian who felt that if they waited another few days, they would be rescued. The other five astronauts decided that when it was Mr. Pack's turn to draw a straw, another astronaut would choose from him. The straw drawn for Mr. Pack happened to be the shortest straw, and Mr. Pack was summarily put to death and consumed by each of the other five astronauts. On the very next day, after they ate Mr. Pack, the five surviving space explorers were rescued by another rocket which removed them from their orbit of Mars and returned them to earth. After recuperation from malnutrition at a hospital, the five astronauts were charged with homicide for the death of Alvin Pack under a statute which provides, that "[a]nyone who knowingly and willfully takes the life of another shall be punished by life imprisonment or death." What should the fate of the five astronauts be? What facts did you use to determine this outcome? Recently, six astronauts from the United States were launched from Kennedy Space Center on a thirty-day mission to explore Mars. On the thirtieth (30) day, after the space explorers had gathered all of the information that they were sent to collect, they began their return to earth. On their return to earth however, a meteor brushed so closely to their rocket that all communications with mission control at the Kennedy Space Center were lost and the rocket was forced off its path into the orbit of Mars. Space center scientists back on Earth were stymied as to how to rescue the forlorn astronauts. As the scientists pondered the rescue plans, the six astronauts were quickly running out of provisions. On the fortieth (40) day in space, the six astronauts had depleted all of their food. At that point, the astronauts reasoned that the only way that they could further sustain themselves was to kill and consume one of their members. Thus, on that same day, five of the six astronauts decided to draw straws to decide who would be eaten. The one astronaut who refused to participate, Alvin Pack, was a vegetarian who felt that if they waited another few days, they would be rescued. The other five astronauts decided that when it was Mr. Pack's turn to draw a straw, another astronaut would choose from him. The straw drawn for Mr. Pack happened to be the shortest straw, and Mr. Pack was summarily put to death and consumed by each of the other five astronauts. On the very next day, after they ate Mr. Pack, the five surviving space explorers were rescued by another rocket which removed them from their orbit of Mars and returned them to earth. After recuperation from malnutrition at a hospital, the five astronauts were charged with homicide for the death of Alvin Pack under a statute which provides, that "[a]nyone who knowingly and willfully takes the life of another shall be punished by life imprisonment or death." What should the fate of the five astronauts be? What facts did you use to determine this outcome?

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Determining the Fate of the Five Astronauts 1 Legal Analysis The five astronauts face a charge of homicide for the death of Alvin Pack The relevant statute states that anyone who knowingly and willful... View the full answer