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Russian Astrologist Sues NASA
Space.com ^ | 4/20/05 | SPACE.com Staff

Posted on 04/20/2005 8:24:14 AM PDT by doc30

Russian Astrologist Sues NASA

NASA has been taken to court in Russia over its plans to crack open a comet.

Marina Bai, a Russian astrologist, filed a lawsuit last month with the Presnensky district court in Moscow, demanding that the U.S. space agency call off its $311 million Deep Impact mission. As reported in MosNews.com, Bai is also asking for 8.7 billion rubles ($311 million) in compensation for moral damages.

“The actions of NASA infringe upon my system of spiritual and life values, in particular on the values of every element of creation, upon the unacceptability of barbarically interfering with the natural life of the universe, and the violation of the natural balance of the Universe,” Bai said in her claim.

Deep Impact, which is already in space, is scheduled to collide with Comet 9P/Tempel 1 on July 4th of this year. The spacecraft carries explosives, which will be used to dig out a crater in the comet. Scientists will then hope to learn what a typical comet is made of.

The district court dismissed the Bai’s case, but the Moscow City Court took up the appeal and will rule following a hearing scheduled for May 6.

Benny Peiser, a researcher at Liverpool John Moores University who follows asteroid science and the surrounding media and public attention, said even some Russian scientists have jumped on this court case, calling the space mission an act of "vandalism that cannot be justified."

"I can only hope that this irrational technophobia is not a sign of things to come in other parts of Europe, which is already falling worryingly behind internationally in science and technology, never mind space exploration," Peiser told SPACE.com.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: astology; astronomy; comet; deepimpact; nasa; russia; space
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This is utterly ridiculus. I hope this isn't a sign that the luddite enviro-wacko's aren't gearing up to 'preserve' the space environment. Otherwise, we'll be looking at more and more lawsuits like the ones that opposed Gallileo and Cassini but on more frivolous grounds.
1 posted on 04/20/2005 8:24:18 AM PDT by doc30
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To: doc30

Is this from PRAVDA?


2 posted on 04/20/2005 8:25:24 AM PDT by OXENinFLA
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To: doc30

Yeah, we don't need any stinking tort reform in this country...


3 posted on 04/20/2005 8:26:43 AM PDT by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - They want to die for Islam, and we want to kill them.)
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To: doc30

Now why didn't I think of that!!


4 posted on 04/20/2005 8:27:44 AM PDT by An.American.Expatriate (Here's my strategy on the War against Terrorism: We win, they lose. - with apologies to R.R.)
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To: doc30

LOL! Russia's got wackos too, huh?


5 posted on 04/20/2005 8:28:16 AM PDT by nuffsenuff
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To: doc30

So this is it? This is the next evolution of enviro-whackism? I suppose the Red Planet Liberation Front will soon be formed and begin blowing up condominiums somewhere while demanding we go clean up all the crap we have crash-landed on Mars.


6 posted on 04/20/2005 8:28:23 AM PDT by Thrusher (Remember the Mog.)
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To: 2banana

Yeah, we don't need any stinking tort reform in this country...
=====
That is correct -- JUST ASK THE TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION!!! They will tell you how bad tort reform would be for their bank accounts....


7 posted on 04/20/2005 8:28:42 AM PDT by EagleUSA (Q)
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To: An.American.Expatriate

Let's join him and make it a class action suit.


8 posted on 04/20/2005 8:29:59 AM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (Caution. Contents under pressure.)
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To: doc30
The spacecraft carries explosives

Kinetic impact can be explosive, should be visible from earth.

9 posted on 04/20/2005 8:31:01 AM PDT by RightWhale (50 trillion sovereign cells working together in relative harmony)
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To: doc30

Geeez! What next?


10 posted on 04/20/2005 8:35:37 AM PDT by Fiddlstix (This Tagline for sale. (Presented by TagLines R US))
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To: doc30
“The actions of NASA infringe upon my system of spiritual and life values, in particular on the values of every element of creation, upon the unacceptability of barbarically interfering with the natural life of the universe, and the violation of the natural balance of the Universe,” Bai said in her claim.

LOL! That is priceless! She need to file that suit in California. She'd stand a pretty good chance of winning. The 9th circus would definitely find in her favor on appeal.

11 posted on 04/20/2005 8:39:58 AM PDT by The_Victor (Doh!... stupid tagline)
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To: doc30

I think it's noble for those in Russia to finally start believing in some of the values we here in America have come to enjoy over the years....the right to sue anyone for anything at any time. Such a breath of fresh air......


12 posted on 04/20/2005 8:41:19 AM PDT by acelatek (I shall live my life for no man, nor expect another to live his life for me)
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To: doc30
This is really the dumbest thing I have read in weeks, but that is because I have not read Krugman, Dowd, or Huffington recently.
13 posted on 04/20/2005 8:41:38 AM PDT by Sthitch
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To: Fiddlstix

Geeez! What next?
=======

No. When next... What later... Why? I dunno !!! ;-))


14 posted on 04/20/2005 8:44:14 AM PDT by GeekDejure ( LOL = Liberals Obey Lucifer !!! -- Impeach Greer !!!.)
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To: doc30

Wait'll we dismantle all the other planets and Kuiper belt objects sometime in the next thousand years or so to build our first Dyson sphere. These loonies will really lose it then, MUAHAHA!!


15 posted on 04/20/2005 8:46:34 AM PDT by LibWhacker
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To: OXENinFLA

You're close. The source in MosNews -- a site that has been blocked from FR.


16 posted on 04/20/2005 8:52:22 AM PDT by ZGuy
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To: doc30
Save the comets!!!
17 posted on 04/20/2005 8:59:31 AM PDT by trebb ("I am the way... no one comes to the Father, but by me..." - Jesus in John 14:6 (RSV))
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To: GeekDejure
No. When next... What later... Why? I dunno !!! ;-))

Third base.

18 posted on 04/20/2005 9:26:31 AM PDT by Vroomfondel
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To: doc30

Is she suing the Russian government for oil exploration 'cause it's so interfering with Nature. I think not. 1. She likes to crap in a warm crapper. 2. She would not sue Putt'n, would she?


19 posted on 04/20/2005 9:41:00 AM PDT by Mi-kha-el ((There is no Pravda in Izvestiya and no Izvestiya in Pravda.))
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To: Mi-kha-el

1. She likes to crap in a warm crapper.
=======

Just curious...

Was "crap" a descriptive word before Mr. Crapper invented the flush toilet ??? ;-))


20 posted on 04/20/2005 9:53:42 AM PDT by GeekDejure ( LOL = Liberals Obey Lucifer !!! -- Impeach Greer !!!.)
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