"Biden Administration Engages Navajo Nation on Lunar Human Remains Issue"

The Biden Administration will consult with the Navajo Nation regarding the placement of human remains on the Moon by commercial space missions, as the Moon is sacred to the Navajo people. The remains are being sent by Celestis, a company that is one of the customers on Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander, which is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. The Navajo Nation President, Buu Nygren, has requested the postponement of the launch, citing sacrilege and a lack of consultation. NASA has no control over non-NASA payloads, but an intergovernmental meeting is being arranged to address the concerns of the Navajo Nation.