Posted 1/23/2024, 6:09:00 PM
Moon burial by space company raises legal and ethical questions
- Commercial company Astrobotic sent a lunar lander carrying human ashes and other "vanity" payloads, drawing criticism from Native American groups
- Sending ashes into space is not new, but a Moon burial raises ethical concerns and highlights gaps in space law
- The Outer Space Treaty bans national appropriation of space but doesn't address commercial activity there
- Nations like Australia may need to expand regulations to cover emerging commercial space enterprises
- As space commercialization accelerates, legal and ethical questions around activities like Moon burials require thought