First Private Moon Lander to Carry Human DNA and Remains Sparks Controversy
United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic are set to make history on Jan. 8 as a ULA rocket sends Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander toward the moon. If successful, Peregrine will become the first private lander to reach the lunar surface and mark the debut of ULA’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket.
Onboard Peregrine are a variety of scientific instruments developed by NASA, paving the way for future lunar exploration as part of the agency’s Artemis program. However, the mission also includes sets of human DNA and remains, which are part of memorial spaceflights offered by two different companies, Celestis and Elysium Space. Celestis will send its payloads into deep space, while Elysium Space will place theirs on the moon.
The inclusion of human remains has sparked objections, particularly from the Navajo Nation. President Buu Nygren has filed a formal objection with NASA and the U.S. Department of Transportation, calling it an act of desecration. Nygren emphasized the sacred position the moon holds in Indigenous cultures, including the Navajo Nation’s.
In response, NASA representatives noted that the mission is a private, commercial effort, and they do not have the authority to dictate the payloads carried by commercial missions. NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program manager, Chris Culbert, explained that private companies launching payloads do not have to clear those payloads with NASA, as these are commercial missions.
However, the controversy has prompted NASA to acknowledge the potential for further public outcry over commercial payloads in the future. NASA’s Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration, emphasized the need to learn from these early missions to regulate access to the moon going forward.
The U.S. government has formed an interagency group to review the Navajo Nation’s objections and request for a delay of the mission. As the debate continues, the private moon mission has sparked a broader conversation about the legal and ethical considerations surrounding commercial space missions.