Navajo Nation President Skeptical of Human Remains Going to the Moon

In an unprecedented event marking a new era in lunar exploration, Peregrine Mission One, the first American private lunar mission, is set to make history. The mission, spearheaded by Astrobotic, a private company, is set to land on the moon on February 23. This groundbreaking endeavor was launched aboard a United Launch Alliance rocket and carries multiple payloads, including a lunar lander named Peregrine.

The mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, designed to collaborate with American companies in delivering payloads to the moon. Despite not being directly managed by NASA, the mission has sparked significant discussion and concern, particularly from the Navajo Nation.

Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren expressed deep concerns about the mission, especially regarding its cargo of human remains destined for a lunar burial. Nygren, representing the largest group of Native Americans in the United States, stated, “The moon holds a sacred place in Navajo cosmology. The suggestion of transforming it into a resting place for human remains is deeply disturbing and unacceptable to our people and many other tribal nations” in reporting by CNN. This sentiment echoes the Navajo Nation’s objection to a similar event in 1998 when NASA sent the ashes of planetary geologist Eugene M. Shoemaker to the moon.

Responding to these concerns, Joel Kearns, NASA’s deputy associate administrator for exploration, acknowledged the Navajo Nation’s worries, emphasizing that NASA takes them “very, very seriously.” However, he also pointed out the commercial nature of the mission, stating, “Those communities may not understand that these missions are commercial, and they’re not U.S. government missions” according to NPR.

The issue has escalated to the extent that the White House convened an emergency meeting to discuss it. Scheduled to include members of NASA and the Department of Transportation, this meeting signifies the importance and complexity of the situation.

The debate extends beyond cultural concerns to the evolving regulations of space exploration. The Federal Aviation Administration, responsible for licensing private space launches in the U.S., has limited oversight, focusing primarily on public health, safety, and national security. This regulatory gap raises questions about the oversight and regulation of non-NASA commercial payloads, particularly those containing human remains.

Justin Ahasteen, the executive director for the Navajo Nation’s Washington Office, criticized this lack of oversight, saying, “They’re essentially suggesting that you can send anything into space. Does that mean people can send drugs? Does that mean people can send hazardous material? The lack of oversight is, I think, really concerning for the nation” also from CNN.

On the other side of the argument, Charles Chafer, CEO of Celestis, one of the companies providing lunar burial services, rejected the assertion that the mission desecrates the moon. He likened the memorial on the moon to those on Earth, stating, “Just as permanent memorials for deceased are present all over planet Earth and not considered desecration, our memorial on the moon is handled with care and reverence,” from CNN.

This mission underscores the complexities and sensitivities involved as humanity ventures further into space, raising questions about cultural respect, regulatory oversight, and the new frontier of commercial space exploration.