Why I want to be buried on the moon

Bury me in the moon—preferably on the other side.

Rick N. Tumlinson

I want to be buried on the moon.

why? I am an Apollo Children, part of the generation that grew up watching NASA’s Apollo astronauts achieve a giant leap forward for all humanity with their groundbreaking moon flight. I have spent most of my life working on this new and amazing phase in human history: space exploration, always with the moon as a destination in mind. I led the return-to-the-moon petition in the 1980s, helped launch the first mission to search for lunar water in the 1990s, and helped lay the groundwork for multiple private and commercial lunar exploration efforts. I’ve been doing it.

Some of my reasons are certainly selfish. I think of my daughter and my descendants. They could look up at that island in the sky at any time from anywhere on Earth and know that I was there.

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But I also want to do this for all the countless others who share my dream of opening a space.

Death rituals are some of humanity’s most important traditions. Choosing a final resting place is often one of the final acts of personal agency in life. And we usually honor these choices as they are. For example, it is a respected practice to scatter some or all of the ashes at sea or other places of personal significance, as long as it does not affect public safety. Space company Celestis recently expanded its operations to include placing a small amount of symbolic human bone on the moon as a beautiful way to honor fallen ancestors.

But some people with other equally valid traditions think the moon should be off-limits to dreamers like me. Some Native Americans, such as the Navajo people, view the Earth’s side of the moon, as well as other planets and stars, as sacred objects that not only provide light in the night sky but also have essential spiritual meaning for humans. their cosmology and rituals. The night sky spoke to their ancestors, and the movement and waxing and waning of the moon was an important source of wisdom and guidance.

In these highly spiritual traditions, the proposal for a moon burial is usually seen as a contamination of this important object by gross commercial interests. Again, those who memorialize their deceased loved ones by some form of extraterrestrial burial believe that such an act is also deeply spiritual.

We need to weigh history as we ponder these two contrasting perspectives. While some have criticized private companies for loading small capsules containing human bones onto probes already flying to the moon, those protesting the idea have warned that 65 It should be noted that this largely ignores the annual littering of the lunar surface. , and also from India, Japan, and China.

The issues currently being raised about placing small amounts of ashes on the moon raise the following questions: what Things that people do on the moon that critics find so irritating, or who Are you doing it? Perhaps this is more about the current stereotype of the American space entrepreneur plundering and plundering space than an ancient tradition? To this I would like to add a further question. Why is it common for private companies like funeral homes to manage funerals on Earth, but not in space? Opponents are motivated by fear of what’s to come. , perhaps because there is a perceived need to oppose citizen-led moon development?

Even if you say this, I understand. In the past, when faced with a new frontier, whether it was “empty” land or a place already inhabited by other people, those with the power to do so simply charged in and took what they wanted. They took everything and crushed the ecosystems and societies they were invading.

As we pioneer what my mentor Gerald K. O’Neill called the “high frontier” of space, we are mindful of the traditions of the peoples we represent and honor new places. and the opportunity to do things differently. we go Perhaps we can develop this disagreement over a few remains into a more united conversation that will change how we take the next small step to the great beyond.

Whether my final resting place is on the moon or not is not that important considering what else is at stake and if we don’t act now lest we make a mistake that can never be righted. This is a macro problem that cannot be solved. Fortunately, the nature of the moon itself provides a solution. Every time it orbits our world, it rotates once around its axis. That is, it always faces the same side, its “near” side, toward the Earth. The opposite hemisphere is invisible from Earth, creating an opportunity for both sides of this debate to get their way.

Therefore, I propose a long-standing compromise solution that will allow us to develop and build communities and preserve the essential qualities of the Moon that will continue to be seen by all people on Earth. The tentative name I have given this initiative is “Luna Bella Protocol.” Its final shape will be determined over the next few years, but as its nickname suggests, the goal is to keep the moon as beautiful as it is today.

I propose that we all agree to ban the development of all permanent moons visible to the naked eye from Earth. Whether it’s a landmine that hurts the eye of the “Moon Man,” a scar on the ear of the “Moon Rabbit,” or a hole in the gown of the “Moon Goddess,” that is no place for our generation. It is to condemn all future generations to bear witness to our lack of compassion and frankly decency. We don’t need to change the moon’s familiar face. Why not, then, agree to leave the moon forever unharmed by overt human action? Meanwhile, we are living on the other side of the moon, never directly seen by Earth’s wandering eyes. You can make your moon dreams bloom in full bloom. There’s a lot going on around, so to speak.

Let’s join civilization in the growing power of cultural and natural conservation to create an agreement that encompasses everything we do there for the tangible benefit of everyone here.

What about my burial plans? They can wait now. There’s too much to do.

This is an opinion and analysis article and the views expressed by the author are not necessarily those of the author. scientific american.