VOA科学技术2024--Private Missions Launch Debate over What to Permit on Moon

Private Missions Launch Debate over What to Permit on Moon

　　The rise in private American space missions has led to increasing calls for rules on what can be transported to the moon.

　　Individuals and groups have criticized plans by private companies to send things that might not be suitable for the lunar surface.

　　The proposals came from companies that have contracts with the American space agency NASA to provide space flight services and carry equipment and supplies to the moon. Such materials launched from rockets are known as payloads.

　　The efforts are part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. It aims to hand over the nation's major space missions to private companies in an effort to reduce costs.

　　The CLPS program plans to send several landers to the moon in the coming years. The landers will be carrying instruments and exploring tools to help humans learn more about the moon and its surroundings. But some missions also plan on sending human remains¹ or goods that could be used in advertising².

　　Leslie Tennen is a lawyer who specializes in international space law. She told Reuters news agency, "We're just at the beginning of exploring the moon, and...we need to be careful we're not contaminating it." She said she thinks care should be taken to prevent the spread of what she calls "litter" on the moon.

　　Last month, one privately-built lunar lander aimed to touch down on the surface of the moon. But the spacecraft, called Peregrine, developed a fuel leak shortly after launch and did not make it to the moon.

　　The company that built Peregrine is Astrobotic Technology, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The lander was loaded with 20 research experiments involving seven different countries. But it also carried other materials. These included numerous containers of human remains, a piece of rock from Mount Everest, a physical bitcoin and a can of the Japanese sports drink Pocari Sweat.

　　Among the remains were ashes of famous space lovers Gene³ Roddenberry and Arthur C. Clarke. Roddenberry was creator of the popular television show Star Trek⁴ and Clarke was a science fiction writer.

　　The Navajo Nation had sought to stop Peregrine's launch because of the inclusion of the remains. The head of the Native American group called the sending of remains a "desecration⁵" because his people consider the moon a holy space.

　　A spokesperson for Astrobotic said the objections to Peregrine's launch came too late to reach an agreement on the issue. But the company said it would try to find "a good path forward" with the Navajo Nation on future missions.

　　Reuters reports that under U.S. law, materials can be transported to the moon as long as they do not violate certain general guidelines set by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

　　The FAA requires companies to show that a payload launched from Earth does not "jeopardize⁶ public health and safety...U.S. national security...or international obligations" of the U.S. This rule permits most materials to be sent to the moon.

　　But legal experts think the issue will likely gain more attention as more private missions make successful landings on the lunar surface. And this could lead to new legal restrictions⁷ on what can be transported to the moon.

　　Lawyers with space-law experience worry that the absence of rules could lead to disputes between U.S. companies and other nations seeking to operate on the lunar surface. There could also be disagreements over which businesses should be permitted to claim land or sovereignty.

　　The current guidelines for international activities on the moon are included in a document called the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. It states that outer space – including the moon and other bodies – "shall be free for exploration and use by all states." The treaty also states that nations involved in space exploration must approve of and supervise the activities of non-government organizations.

　　Experts say few nations have approved their own rules for moon behavior and measures are currently unclear in international law. This has led to calls for new international guidelines.

　　Martha Mejía-Kaiser is a Mexican-German space lawyer and a board member of the International Institute of Space Law. She told Reuters, "We are already late, and we are very urgently in need to start now, to discuss the moon at an international level."

　　Words in This Story

　　mission – n. to do something considered very difficult or impossible

　　contaminate – v. to make something dirty or poisonous

　　litter – n. things left in an area that makes the area seem dirty desecrate⁸ – v. to damage or show a lack of respect toward something holy or highly respected

　　jeopardize – v. to put something in danger

　　obligation – n. something a person does because it is their duty or because they feel they have to

　　sovereignty – n. the power of a country to control its own government

　　supervise – v. to watch over a person or activity

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

3 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

4 trek   

vi.作长途艰辛的旅行；n.长途艰苦的旅行

参考例句：

• We often go pony-trek in the summer.夏季我们经常骑马旅行。
• It took us the whole day to trek across the rocky terrain.我们花了一整天的时间艰难地穿过那片遍布岩石的地带。

5 desecration   

n. 亵渎神圣, 污辱

参考例句：

• Desecration, and so forth, and lectured you on dignity and sanctity. 比如亵渎神圣等。想用尊严和神圣不可侵犯之类的话来打动你们。
• Desecration: will no longer break stealth. 亵渎：不再消除潜行。

6 jeopardize   

vt.危及，损害

参考例句：

• Overworking can jeopardize your health.工作过量可能会危及你的健康。
• If you are rude to the boss it may jeopardize your chances of success.如果你对上司无礼，那就可能断送你成功的机会。

7 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

8 desecrate   

v.供俗用，亵渎，污辱

参考例句：

• The enemy desecrate the church by using it as a stable.敌人亵渎这所教堂,把它当做马厩。
• It's a crime to desecrate the country's flag.玷污国旗是犯罪。