> Since Apollo 13 many people have asked me, "Did you have suicide pills on board?"
I would have to imagine that if the circumstances made it obvious that returning to Earth was impossible, the astronauts probably would have chosen to end their days on the surface of the moon. Assuming the LM could land with three on board.
Buzz Aldrin was asked how he would spend his last hours alive on the moon if the ascent engine had failed to light and left them stranded.
His reply was that he would spend that time trying to fix the engine.
I don't think they ever would have given up like that. You keep trying things to save it until you're dead, even if it's obvious that you're not going to make it.
The astronauts left an awful lot of stuff on the moon but luckily the moon is a big place - a few people entombed there in the lander wouldn't make any difference.
I would have to imagine that if the circumstances made it obvious that returning to Earth was impossible, the astronauts probably would have chosen to end their days on the surface of the moon. Assuming the LM could land with three on board.