Posted: January 4, 2024 6:02 pm ET | Last Updated: January 4, 2024 6:02 pm ET | The Biden Administration has agreed to an intergovernmental meeting with the Navajo Nation to discuss human remains being sent to the Moon on non-NASA missions, which is sacrilegious to them. The chairman of the company, Celestis, sending remains on the Astrobotic launch scheduled for next week is pushing back on the characterization that the service he offers is somehow a descrecration when in fact it's a celebration.
  • RattlerSix@lemmy.worldEnglish
    35·
    10 months ago

    Man, my eyes are getting bad. I could have sworn the said “Biden Administration To Consult With Navajo About Human Remains On The Moon”

  • Gigan@lemmy.worldEnglish
    281·
    10 months ago

    The Navajo do not have jurisdiction over the moon, I don’t think any government does. They don’t have any right to stop someone else from having their remains placed on the moon.

    • glimse@lemmy.worldEnglish
      221·
      10 months ago

      Yeah…I’m usually on the side of Native Americans when they have a grevience but this just feels like a stretch. They’ve never touched the moon…but it’s theirs because of their spirituality (religion)? What?

      • Gigan@lemmy.worldEnglish
        15·
        10 months ago

        And I’m sure the moon is sacred in a lot of different cultures. Who do they think would have the ultimate say over it?

      • FireTower@lemmy.worldEnglish
        101·
        10 months ago

        I can’t see any legal justification to aid the Najavo. But I’m siding with them. Sending some dead dudes bones to the moon is a stupid ass business. If you factor in the environmental impact of the rocket it probably contributes less to society than a crypto scam.

        • glimse@lemmy.worldEnglish
          8·
          10 months ago

          I agree that wasting money sending ashes to the moon is dumb but not for religious reasons so I can’t “side” with them here

          Like if a cultural group claimed SUVs were against their religion and should be banned, I’d agree with the goal but wouldn’t voice my support because the justification is idiotic

      • captainlezbian@lemmy.worldEnglish
        9·
        10 months ago

        Yeah, like I’m sympathetic but also most religions revere the moon dude, it’s kinda just that fucking majestic.

        We’ve done a lot of real bad shit to them, and I’m even sympathetic to religious claims of damage to the earth, but as far as the moon goes, I’m more than happy for us to help take some of them there, but it’s not theirs just because they weren’t powerful enough of a nation to sign the treaty declaring it nobody’s

  • BillDaCatt@lemmy.worldEnglish
    203·
    10 months ago

    Wow! I’m not religious at all. So maybe I am just being an insensitive prick about this, but I really don’t care if someone wants their remains to be on the moon and I don’t care who it offends. It’s the moon.

    There is no way in hell I would stop and consider the feelings of any religious group about a planetary body that isn’t Earth.

    I also think that sending human remains to the moon is a complete waste of time, money, and resources. The only way a flight like this makes any sense is as a precursor to a manned mission.

    Someday in the near future I expect there to be some kind of long term living space on the moon. When that happens, at some point someone will not make it back alive. It seems perfectly reasonable to me if their remains stay there permanently.

    I don’t know. Maybe that’s just me. I’m not in a position to be anything more than a single voice. The whole thing seems really kinda dumb.

  • SpaceNoodle@lemmy.worldEnglish
    102·
    10 months ago

    Why are people obsessed with scattering ashes on the fucking moon in the first place?

  • MedicsOfAnarchy@lemmy.worldEnglish
    92·
    10 months ago

    The Navajo had best get over it. OR, they can assert their dominance by going to the moon and removing the remains themselves. Wide open for them to do so.

  • thecrotch@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    6·
    10 months ago

    All the things this country could do to make amends to the indigenous populations and we end up giving them this useless pandering. Are we sure this isn’t an onion headline?

  • Wahots@pawb.socialEnglish
    3·
    10 months ago

    It’s the fucking moon, nobody owns it. Hell, nobody can currently even live there. We shouldn’t wreck it, but nobody can call dibs on it either, lol.