You can pay to have your ashes buried on the moon. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should

[Admin]

The question of sending your ashes to the moon is less a "can I?" one and more of a "should I?"

You can pay to have your ashes buried on the moon. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should : Read more

 

[Cdr. Shepard]

Reduce space junk? Avoid legal minefields? Maybe question whether or not your dog's ashes are as important as you think they are? Is vanity itself a good reason to clutter up LEO / various lunar landing sites?
Fair points, all.

However, if it's worth mentioning in every Peregrine-related article that the Navajo Nation is upset about desecration of a sacred site with human remains that they quite literally consider to be "discards", then I question the ethical concerns raised by headlines that (to me, at least) effectively read: "You can send your loved one's remains to a celestial body that you yourself hold sacred in your own way, but should you?"

For most, burial sites are some of the most sacred in human history, protected and revered even by those who are only nominally spiritual. NASA made a promise 20 years ago, and promises should be kept. However, I'd challenge those outraged to consider another question:
Should one single culture have veto power over all others' endeavors to the moon, especially ones of their own spiritual nature, when it orbits a planet hosting that they share with 7.5 billion other humans?

 

[Cisventure Astronot]

Reduce space junk? Avoid legal minefields? Maybe question whether or not your dog's ashes are as important as you think they are? Is vanity itself a good reason to clutter up LEO / various lunar landing sites?
Fair points, all.

However, if it's worth mentioning in every Peregrine-related article that the Navajo Nation is upset about desecration of a sacred site with human remains that they quite literally consider to be "discards", then I question the ethical concerns raised by headlines that (to me, at least) effectively read: "You can send your loved one's remains to a celestial body that you yourself hold sacred in your own way, but should you?"

For most, burial sites are some of the most sacred in human history, protected and revered even by those who are only nominally spiritual. NASA made a promise 20 years ago, and promises should be kept. However, I'd challenge those outraged to consider another question:
Should one single culture have veto power over all others' endeavors to the moon, especially ones of their own spiritual nature, when it orbits a planet hosting that they share with 7.5 billion other humans?

You mentioned that "promises should be kept", so I'd like to clarify, for those unaware, that NASA didn't break their promise. If I'm not mistaken, NASA had no part in this mission other than buying an unrelated payload on it and likely some technical help.

• Launch complex: U.S.S.F.
• Launch vehicle: ULA
• Launch approval: FAA
• Lander: Astrobotic
• "Discards": Celestis and Elysium

I agree with your ending question, though. If we tried to respect every culture and religion, then law itself would probably be illegal. I assume Navajo gets to vote just like everyone else, so it shouldn't get special treatment.

P.S.: I'm new to this forum. so I'm sorry if this counts as steering the discussion away from scientific discoveries and principles.

 

[Cdr. Shepard]

You mentioned that "promises should be kept", so I'd like to clarify, for those unaware, that NASA didn't break their promise. If I'm not mistaken, NASA had no part in this mission other than buying an unrelated payload on it and likely some technical help.

• Launch complex: U.S.S.F.
• Launch vehicle: ULA
• Launch approval: FAA
• Lander: Astrobotic
• "Discards": Celestis and Elysium

I agree with your ending question, though. If we tried to respect every culture and religion, then law itself would probably be illegal. I assume Navajo gets to vote just like everyone else, so it shouldn't get special treatment.

P.S.: I'm new to this forum. so I'm sorry if this counts as steering the discussion away from scientific discoveries and principles.

Yes, that's definitely true and does not apply to any private mission like the one undertaken by the industry players you mentioned. The promise that NASA made, however, continues to be referenced explicitly or inferred in most of the articles on the topic since shortly before the ULA launch.

This doesn't count as steering the discussion away from the subject matter IMO -- this article explicitly mentions legal and ethical challenges, so you're right on topic! Welcome, fairly new to the forum myself, and you needn't apologize. After spending a lot of time on reddit over the years I can understand your caution. Rules here are simple (they boil down to "be respectful, like a mature human") and the handful of regular commenters are usually very civil anyway. Thanks for the clarification and info.!