Unusual question

[Messerschmitt Man]

If say an astronaut died in orbit & his/her body was "buried" in space what would happen to it? There would be no living organisms to decompose the body & no effects of gravity so in theory would the body stayed perfectly preserved in orbit for ever?

[HalcyonDays]

It would depend on the elements of the orbit. The orbit could decay, like any satellite or rocket debris, and it would eventually re-enter the atmosphere and burn up. However, if it was in an orbit from which re-entry was not possible, yes, the body would remain largely unchanged, except in the extreme long-term when it could be suscpetible to decay from things like solar wind, cosmic rays, gamma ray bursts etc.