Bombing the moon?

Bruce K. Gagnon, Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space

Bruce K. Gagnon, Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space

While the title may seem alarming and somewhat dramatic, sadly it isn’t far from the truth. NASA’s mission to “bomb the moon” began in June. According to Scientific American, “the attack on the moon is not a declaration of war or act of wonton vandalism. Space scientists want to see if any water ice or vapour is revealed in the debris.” The report written in June of 2009 describes the timeline of the mission to the moon, “the spacecraft will not head straight for the Moon. First it will orbit the Earth a number of times while its precise target is identified. Finally, it will send the missile into the Moon at twice the speed of a bullet on October 8.” And that’s what it did.

In a more recent report from the Coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, Bruce Gagnon, he questions the moral and ethical validity of the activities that are occuring in space.  Who will protect the human rights of workers in space? How do we remain transparent and accountable in our actions? Who would monitor and govern space activities? Gagnon believes that governments need to step back from their space programs, “the time has come for the taxpayers to demand transparency, accountability, and a peaceful space program.  In the meantime we need to put the brakes on this runaway train.”

 

Tags: NASA, Space, Space policy, Space security