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According to the Navajo Nation, NASA and private space companies did not seek input from tribal nations regarding their intentions to transport human remains to the moon as part of a scheduled lunar launch in January.
Buu Nygren, the president of Navajo Nation, wrote a letter to Nasa requesting a postponement of the scheduled launch date of the Astrobotic Peregrine lunar lander on January 8. This particular mission will include payloads from Celestis and Elysium Space, companies that perform space burials.
President Nygren expressed the importance of recognizing the moon’s significance in various Indigenous communities, including our own. According to Native News Online, he stated in a letter to officials that we hold the moon in high regard as a symbol of our spiritual heritage and a source of reverence and admiration. He believes that leaving human remains and other items on the moon, which may be seen as insignificant in other places, would be considered a violation of this sacred space.
In 1998, Nasa placed the ashes of planetary scientist Eugene Shoemaker on the moon, receiving backlash from the tribe.
According to Navajo customs and legends, the moon holds great significance and plays a crucial role in the natural cycles of life. Navajo Nation president Albert expressed his belief that sending an object to the moon would be considered blasphemous.
Following the event, the space agency announced that it would seek input from tribes in future decisions.
According to President Nygren’s letter, the ongoing efforts to transport human remains to the moon go against various executive orders on tribal consultation, including one recently signed by the Biden administration.
The Independent has reached out to Nasa, Celestis, Elysium, and Astrobotic for a response.
On January 8th, the Peregrine lunar lander is scheduled to launch and in February, it will attempt to achieve the first ever private company lunar landing.
According to Astrobotic CEO John Thornton, the task of landing on the Moon’s surface is extremely challenging in the lunar industry. However, their team has consistently exceeded expectations and shown remarkable resourcefulness throughout the process of flight reviews, spacecraft testing, and hardware integrations. The company released a statement prior to the launch confirming their readiness for both the launch and landing.
Source: independent.co.uk
