An editorial recently published on SpaceNews took the position that my company’s Luna Memorial Spaceflight service should not be permitted on the Moon because the Navajo Nation views the Moon as sacred.
In essence, the author is arguing that lawful space missions should be subject to the religious test of a single culture.
The heart of the argument, however, really comes down to how we see our future and the moon’s role in it. Is the moon a celestial body meant only for science and passive art, as the author says, or is there a more robust future for our nearest neighbor?
That future would include human settlements, the use of lunar resources, manufacturing and energy generation – basically enabling us to begin our next step into the solar system. In that future, there is an important role for science, preservation and commerce.
Unless we (and all other nations) forgo human settlement on the Moon – any ban on human remains handling and disposition on the moon would be at most temporary. As we move off planet Earth, we will take all our celebrations, rituals and memorials with us, including our funerals and our memorial services, even as we create new ones. It’s unfathomable that Earth will be the only place that these important customs and celebrations will take place.
What is the Celestis Luna Memorial service?
It’s important to understand what our service is and what it is not. It is a memorial spaceflight that celebrates a life by placing DNA or a symbolic portion of cremated remains onboard a spacecraft bound to land on the moon.
The Celestis payload is composed of very small (one-fourth inch by one-half inch) aerospace-grade aluminum capsules holding 1 to 2 grams of cremated remains or DNA samples. These capsules are flight-proven and are thoroughly tested (vacuum and temperature) flight articles with secure closure.
The flight capsules are placed inside a separate container, designed and built by our service…
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