Astronauts may now face criminal charges for crimes committed on the way to the moon. Photo: NASA / Bill Stafford
More than 50 years ago, Apollo astronauts left 96 bags of their own waste on the surface of the moon. But they were not afraid to be fined for garbage, as space – including the moon – is a largely illegal region. Canadian lawmakers hope to change that.
Canada amended its penal code on Thursday to allow the prosecution of crimes committed by Canadian astronauts while traveling to the moon or on the lunar surface itself. Foreign astronauts who threaten the life or safety of a Canadian astronaut could also be punished by Canadian law, according to CBC.
Canada’s penal code already included crimes committed by its astronauts aboard the International Space Station as punishable by law. But the recent amendment now recognizes the Canadian Space Agency’s involvement in the upcoming Artemis program, through which NASA intends to send people back to the surface of the moon later this decade and probably as early as 2025.
The Artemis 2 mission, in which an Orion capsule with crew will travel to the moon and back without landing, will include a Canadian astronaut. Canada is also providing a robotic arm for the Lunar Gateway, a planned outpost in orbit around the moon. The European Space Agency as well as the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency are also participating in the Artemis program.
As these international collaborations take place in the midst of a growing industry, it has become more important to review existing laws when it comes to space management. Space is currently poorly managed by the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which was written in light of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Treaty has not been updated since then, and Article six of the Outer Space Treaty states that nations will monitor the activities of their citizens in space.
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