Navajo Leader Protests NASA's Plan to Send Human Ashes to Lunar Surface

Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren has expressed opposition to NASA's plan to send cremated human remains to the moon, a place considered sacred by many Indigenous cultures. The Vulcan Centaur rocket, carrying the Peregrine Mission One, is scheduled to launch on January 8, 2024, with payloads from companies that provide memorial spaceflights. Nygren has requested a delay and immediate consultation, citing a lack of engagement with the Navajo Nation and previous commitments by NASA for consultation on such matters. NASA has not yet responded to the concerns raised.