Solar Energy News
MOON DAILY
Navajo Nation opposes plans to send human remains to the moon
Navajo Nation opposes plans to send human remains to the moon
by Mike Heuer
Washington DC (UPI) Jan 6, 2024

The Navajo Nation is protesting the planned delivery of human remains to the moon as part of an unmanned lunar launch scheduled for Monday.

Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren said in a statement issued Friday that plans to deliver the cremated remains and DNA of 66 individuals aboard Astrobotic Technology's Peregrine lunar lander, set to launch Monday, would amount to the desecration of the moon, which the Navajo consider a sacred site.

"The placement of human remains on the moon is a profound desecration of this celestial body revered by our people," Nygren said. "This act disregards past agreements and promises of respect and consultation between NASA and the Navajo Nation, notably following the Lunar Prospector mission."

The Peregrin Mission One launch would be the first lunar mission launched from the United States to touch down on the moon since NASA ended its Apollo missions in 1972. Although the mission is unmanned, it would deliver the cremated remains to the moon.

During the 1999 Lunar Prospector mission, NASA intentionally crash-landed a spacecraft on the moon, carrying the cremated remains of scientist Eugene Shoemaker, who founded astrogeology and is the co-discoverer of the Shoemaker-Levy comet that eventually impacted Jupiter, according to the Lowell Milken Center.

Shoemaker was the first person whose remains were sent to the moon.

Nygren said officials for NASA and the Department of Transportation should have consulted with indigenous tribes and nations before planning a permanent lunar memorial containing remains. The flight would land on the moon's northeastern portion where the 66 capsules would remain.

The mission is a joint commercial endeavor between Celestis and Elysium Space and is being carried into space aboard an unmanned lunar lander owned and operated by Astrobotic Technology. A Vulcan Centaur Rocket owned and operated by United Launch Alliance will send the lunar lander into space.

Celestis CEO Charles Chafer disagrees with the notion that the flight would be offensive.

"We reject the assertion that our memorial Space mission desecrates the moon," Chafer told CNN. "Just as permanent memorials for deceased are present all over planet Earth and not considered desecration, our memorial on the moon is handled with care and reverence [and] is a permanent monument that does not intentionally eject flight capsules on the moon."

Related Links
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
MOON DAILY
Astrobotic Readies for Historic Lunar Mission with Ansys Technology
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 04, 2024
In a significant advancement for lunar exploration, Astrobotic is set to embark on one of the first Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) deliveries to the Moon, utilizing Ansys' (NASDAQ: ANSS) sophisticated simulation solutions. The Peregrine lunar lander, scheduled for a January launch and February landing, will transport 20 payloads from seven countries, aiding NASA's Artemis program in preparing for future human missions on the lunar surface. The journey to the Moon, fraught with extreme te ... read more

MOON DAILY
Nigerians look to biofuel as cost of cooking gas soars

Chinese company gives leftover hotpot oil second life as jet fuel

Cheap and efficient ethanol catalyst from laser-melted nanoparticles

UK permits 'world-first' flight powered by sustainable fuels

MOON DAILY
AI agents help explain other AI systems

US bans pharmacy Rite Aid from facial recognition use

OpenAI releases guidelines to gauge 'catastrophic risks' of AI

AI scientist, founder of China's SenseTime suddenly dies

MOON DAILY
Danish firm to build huge wind farm off UK

UK unveils massive news windfarm investment by UAE, German firms

Wind and solar projects can profit from bitcoin mining

Winds of change? Bid to revive England's onshore sector

MOON DAILY
Tesla to recall 1.6 mn cars in China to fix steering software

China's Evergrande says head of EV arm detained

BYD: Chinese electric vehicle giant that has overtaken Tesla on sales

Chinese EV automaker BYD to build car factory in Hungary

MOON DAILY
South Korea's so-called artificial sun to burn at 100M degrees Celsius for half a minute

How does corrosion happen? New research examines process on atomic level

Energy Department praises technical advance in next-generation heat pumps

KULR secures contract with major space exploration firm for advanced battery safety solutions

MOON DAILY
UK announces Europe's first high-tech uranium fuel plant

France to build 'beyond' planned six new nuclear plants

UN access at Ukraine nuclear plant curbed for safety: Russia

France pushes nuclear energy, raising German hackles

MOON DAILY
Private sector funding key to climate transition, World Bank chief says

China, climate in focus at Japan-ASEAN summit

'Where is the money?' COP28 deal throws spotlight on funding

Policies to support energy transition losers may fall short

MOON DAILY
Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon halved in 2023

A new map showing all above-ground biomass in the Brazilian Amazon

Drones help solve forest carbon capture riddle

Minding the gap on tropical forest carbon

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.