A park on the moon....not really a priority

[michal1980]

how would someone get the national parks stamp for the moon?

 

[woolfe9998]

There's an obvious problem. The US doesn't own the moon. We're a signatory to a 1967 treaty that prohibits it.

This is true. Great point. The treaty indeed says:

outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means

I checked the bill text, and it defines the "park" as being the artifacts left behind by the US landing missions, not any specific territory.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr2617/text

Under the treaty, those do belong to the US.

However, with respect to the site itself, the bill also provides that:

Not later than 1 year after the establishment of the Historical Park, the Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator, shall submit the Apollo 11 lunar landing site to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for designation as a World Heritage Site.

So the bill seeks to preserve the artifacts, and to designate the land they rest on as an international historical site, by going through the UN.

It seems the authors of the bill are aware of the treaty.

 

[Kadarin]

I'm not seeing this as any kind of problem. It IS after all a historical site.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

This is true. Great point. The treaty indeed says:



I checked the bill text, and it defines the "park" as being the artifacts left behind by the US landing missions, not any specific territory.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr2617/text

Under the treaty, those do belong to the US.

However, with respect to the site itself, the bill also provides that:



So the bill seeks to preserve the artifacts, and to designate the land they rest on as an international historical site, by going through the UN.

It seems the authors of the bill are aware of the treaty.

If it's permitted and appropriate them I have no objections whatsoever. The term "national park" did throw me.

 

[Patranus]

Mankind should decide on how to handle the moon.

The landing site should be historic, but not dedicated to America. It belongs to humanity.

Huh, last time I checked America was the one who put a man on the moon.

If anything it has been a failure of subsequent administrations not to push a moon program, establish the moon as a territory of the United States, and secure it resources for future generations of Americans.

 

[woolfe9998]

If it's permitted and appropriate them I have no objections whatsoever. The term "national park" did throw me.

Yeah, me too. I always assumed that "park" meant land. Apparently it can be applied to any property the state wants to preserve.

Thinking further on this, I support the legislation. Given all the private sector aerospace activity of late, I can see moon tourism possibly starting in the next decade. The temptation for people to disturb and/or steal these artifacts would be quite high, particularly given their obvious value as collectibles. This law provides a basis to protect them, so that they aren't treated as salvage the way deep sea divers treat ship wrecks.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

I suggest it should be named "Park Side Of The Moon*."


* There is no park side of the moon, really. As a matter of fact, it's all park.

 

[DrPizza]

Huh, last time I checked America was the one who put a man on the moon.

If anything it has been a failure of subsequent administrations not to push a moon program, establish the moon as a territory of the United States, and secure it resources for future generations of Americans.

Uhhhh, if you read this thread you would already see that we cannot establish the moon as a territory. Further, WHAT resources are you speaking of? There's nothing on the moon (other than an isotope of Helium) that isn't found on the Earth in huge abundance.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Uhhhh, if you read this thread you would already see that we cannot establish the moon as a territory. Further, WHAT resources are you speaking of? There's nothing on the moon (other than an isotope of Helium) that isn't found on the Earth in huge abundance.

It's our manifest destiny.

 

[sao123]

so why cant we get a UN resolution to preserve an internaitonal park on the moon? consisting of sites by US, Russia, and eventually China?

 

[IronWing]

so why cant we get a UN resolution to preserve an internaitonal park on the moon? consisting of sites by US, Russia, and eventually China?

You just gave away two thirds of America's lunar empire w/o even a whimper. How much cheese do you eat anyway?