Posted on 05/07/2005 12:48:21 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Moscow - A Russian court ruled that an astrologer could proceed with a lawsuit against the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration for plans to bombard a comet whose destruction would "disrupt the natural balance of the universe", said Itar-Tass on Friday.
Star-reader Marina Bai's case was thrown out of a lower court because Russia had no jurisdiction over Nasa.
But, the ruling was overturned when her lawyer, Alexandra Molokhova, was able to show that the agency's office in the US embassy in Moscow did fall under Russian jurisdiction.
Bai seeks a ruling that would restrict Nasa in its plans to annihilate a section of the Tempel 1 comet in a project that has been dubbed "Deep Impact", as well as punitive damages of 8.7 billion roubles (about R1.8bn).
"My client believes the Nasa project infringes on her spiritual and life values as well as the natural life of the cosmos and would disrupt the natural balance of forces in the universe," Molokhova was quoted as saying.
The lawyer said Tempel 1 had sentimental value to Bai because her grandparents met when her grandfather pointed the comet out to his future wife.
Expected to create a huge crater
In a $279m project, Nasa in January launched the Deep Impact spacecraft which will travel to the comet and release an "impactor" - a 370kg self-guided mass - on US Independence Day (July 4) which is expected to create a crater that could be as large as a football stadium.
Scientists believe the exposed material from the resulting crater will yield clues to the formation of the solar system and provide important information on altering the course of comets or asteroids on a collision course with Earth.
Effects of the collision will be visible from Earth with an amateur telescope, according to the mission's website.
I hope this case isn't filed in a Floriduh court.
You have GOT to be kidding me.....
(eye roll) . . . Oooookay!
Maybe the astrologer already knows the outcome of the suit.</sarc>
I live in Floriduh. I think the case would have merit here :) After all, we just extended the castle doctrine to public places and are now the "wild west" with gun crazed people with itchy trigger fingers ready to kill our fellow citizens at the slightest provocation. Bring on the astrologers :)
OK, but where will this cannonball go after it has hit the comet? Embed itself? Bounce off and go careening towards the earth (oops)?
"OK, but where will this cannonball go after it has hit the comet? Embed itself? Bounce off and go careening towards the earth (oops)?"
Sounds like a possibility, to me. *shrug*
Guess NASA picked the date of July 4th for dramatics. I doubt we'd be happy to hear Russia or China were pulling a stunt like this.
It will vaporize. Most of the copper particles will be thrown into space, but some of it will embed itself in the comet.
Do comets have rights in Floriduh? Nobody else does.
This astrologer OWNS the comet?
<< Do comets have rights in Floriduh? Nobody else does. >>
Although a certain presidential electoral candidate, whose massive election fraud having failed him -- and having had the machinery of that fraud spend a month creating the appearance of "votes" where none existed -- came awful close to having some [Or were those 'wrongs?'] -- that one time!
LOL - and don't forget the alligators. They have rights!
Sigh. These judges have just GOT to stop taking those stupid pills.
"...a comet whose destruction would "disrupt the natural balance of the universe"
It's as if every insane asylum was emptied and the inmates given graduate degress and judgeships. Bring on the new dark ages.
Everything is interconnected, not just objects floating out there in the cosmos. If someone somewhere in the world is committing adultery, which the Bible considers sin worthy of death, do I as a Christian have the right to sue the government with juridical power over the offending couple? Or is everyone accountable for his own actions?
You said it. I've lost count of the number of times I've heard liberals spout a particular thing about me that I'd thought about them for years, like "Bush is Hitler." Excuse me, but which group has promoted policy that has murdered seven times as many little lives as Hitler took?
It would be tragically hilarious if we permanently lost our battle for national judicial sovereignty over this case.
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