Who Gave NASA Permission to Bomb the Moon?

It is not like their latest quest to mine for water on the moon was based on the major consensus of the American people. I think I speak for many when I say I was horrified by NASA's latest expedition.

It reminded me of the 2008 Olympic event held in Beijing, where Chinese officials strategically attempted to control the weather with cloud seeding. They had rockets filled with pellets of Silver Iodide on stand by just in case any rain clouds were to approach Beijing. If ominous weather were to threaten the Olympic events Chinese officials would give the OK to shoot the rockets into the atmosphere in order to make the rain clouds dump out all of its precipitation before reaching Beijing. What ramifications would this have had on the atmosphere we share? How would traces of silver iodide impact our lungs, our ozone, our water, or those with sensitive respiratory ailments, etc?

U.S. flags have been emblematically planted on the Moon, although no nation can claim ownership of any part of the Moon's surface. According to the World Space Guide there are currently 11 countries sponsoring space agencies with space launch capabilities. 4 of those 11 countries have space agencies with manned spaceflight capability.

What if another nation decides to look for iron on the moon by bombing it. Would we allow a country to possibly blow up any celestial body, inevitably changing the solar landscape (or solar-scape) forever? If something catastrophic happened to the moon, what impact would that have on the earth's surface, the force of gravity, or the balance of the rest of our galaxy?

An Outer Space Treaty was created to outline the basic legal framework of international space law in 2006 to govern the use of space. But it ironically leaves too much space. It only prohibits nuclear weapons and military uses. There was nothing illegal about NASA bombing the moon we all share according to the Outer Space Treaty. But NASA's explosive space mission is illegal according to the Moon Treaty.

Article 3 of the Moon Treaty states: that any threat or use of force or any other hostile act or threat of hostile act on the moon is prohibited. Article 7 of the Moon Treaty discloses: parties shall also take measures to avoid harmfully affecting the environment of the earth through the introduction of extraterrestrial matter or otherwise."

Profit vs. Preservation

Since the industrial revolution, personal gain and environmental responsibility have gone head to head. Even before this era conquistadors would embark on "discovering" new land introducing pest, disease, and other non wanted biofactors to foreign, delicate ecosystems.

But Space exploration is not for profit you say. Well according to the U.S. National Space Policy, it is, as it states:

In this new century, those who effectively utilize space will enjoy added prosperity and security and will hold a substantial advantage over those who do not. Freedom of action in space is as important to the United States as air power and sea power.

Is it okay to bomb the moon to gain profit? Absolutely not.

I don't even buy the claim of their mission quest being: searching for water.

Consider the Risk....The Moon Once Screamed

It is documented that during the Apollo 13 mission in 1970, there was a high pitched ringing noise after the spacecraft collided into the moon's surface. The noise was never identified but occurred right after the impact; and it leaves me to the question: How sturdy is the moon's surface?

According to Northeastern Illinois University NASA/UNCF Project, the Moon's crust which supports its surface is believed to be over 40% oxygen, and 20% made from brittle silicon. This does not make the most firm of surfaces in my opinion. The risk of something devastating happening to the moon was definitely not worth the mission and furthermore, the bill for such useless spending is on us U.S. tax payers.

HOOOOoooowwwWWWL....My Homage to the Moon

The moon is an important celestial body president to our being and is essential to many of our ecosystems and should never be the target of any rocket or site for explosives.

The moon is the primary factor controlling the height and temporal rhythm of tides with a gravitational pull; in which marine life depends on for its existence. The moon also create circadian rhythm, which awakes nocturnal animals for their hunt and slows our bowels when its time for us to sleep. We even attribute the moon for our moods blaming our wild, ferocious, or insane behavior on a full moon. We align personality traits, relationship compatibility, and horoscopes with the lunar cycle found in both eastern and western astrology.

Most religions also recognize the lunar cycle in their practices and rituals. For Christians, Easter (which is debated to be a pagan tradition) is celebrated on the first equinox, a full moon. Many Jewish holidays also fall on full moon days; and practicing Buddhist visit their temples for rituals of worship, every full moon day, known as a Poya. What Should NASA Really be Doing in Space?

Smashing a rocket into the moon's surface is not considered ingenuity in this era of scientific achievement. With today's technology I am sure our top scientists could have come up with something less invasive and less wasteful of valuable equipment and tax payers' money.

According to NASA, they now have a budget in excess of $18 billion dollars. And has just requested a 5% increase in the FY 2010 resulting for a whopping $18.686 billion. Huh! Not in this economy!

The only thing NASA should be doing in space is finding a way to clean up the space junk (debris) orbiting and threatening our planet. They should put all other space exploration on hold until there is a full economic recovery.

NASA scientists should be on the search of alternative energy and eliminating greenhouse gases; or do something really useful like use those powerful satellites find Osama Bin Laden so we can bring our troops home.

How Do We Give Our Input in to the Endeavors and Expeditions of NASA?

NASA offers a hotline to report crime, fraud, waste, and mismanagement in NASA's programs. The OIG (Office of Inspector General) Hotline offers a confidential means for reporting any important information. This latest space mission was a waste and should be a crime, so visit http://oig.nasa.gov/cyberhotline.htmlor call the NASA OIG HOTLINE at 1-800-424-9183 and report your concerns

You can also express your feelings about NASA's recent space mission to your State Senate. Simply go to the website http://Senate.gov . In the top right corner you will see a field that says "find your Senators." If you do not have internet access use 1-800-FED-INFO as your directory to any elected officials.

Although no one can claim ownership of the moon, it is our job to protect it!

Sources and important links

For the OIG hotline http://oig.nasa.gov/cyberhotline.html

To find your state Senators http://Senate.gov

2009 NASA budget http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/345225main_FY_2010_UPDATED_final_5-11-09_with_cover.pdf

2010 NASA budget http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/345225main_FY_2010_UPDATED_final_5-11-09_with_cover.pdf

U.S. National Space Policyhttp://www.ostp.gov/galleries/default-file/Unclassified%20National%20Space%20Policy%20--%20FINAL.pdf

World Space Guide http://www.fas.org/spp/guide/index.html

Outer Space Treaty http://www.state.gov/www/global/arms/treaties/space1.html

The Moon Treaty http://www.islandone.org/Treaties/BH766.html

Northeastern Illinois University NASA/UNCF Project www.neiu.edu/~jmhemzac/mooncomp.htm