Astronauts have been warned they will be met with handcuffs when they touch down back on Earth should they commit any crimes on the surface of the Moon.
New legislation has been introduced by Canada’s government as part of the 2022 federal budget and recently presented to the House of Commons.
Buried deep within the document were new laws relating to space flight.
And while several science fiction films show outer space to be a bastion of lawlessness, it will not apply to Canadians leaving the Earth’s atmosphere.
It reads: “A Canadian crew member who, during a space flight, commits an act or omission outside Canada that if committed in Canada would constitute an indictable offence is deemed to have committed that act or omission in Canada, if that act or omission is committed on…a flight element of the Lunar Gateway…or on the surface of the Moon.”
Space law expert Professor Ram S. Jakhu of McGill University, previously told Lawyer Monthly : “The current technological and entrepreneurial developments in various countries indicate that space exploration and settlements will probably be a reality within a decade or two, as humans return to the Moon, venture to Mars, and reach distant asteroids.
“Both public and private space stations with space habitations might soon become commonplace.
“Innovation and advances in space technologies and operations outstrip the antiquated laws that currently exist, thus, not before long, there will need to be a set of laws and governance in place for all eventualities in space as there is on Earth, instead of the case-by-case nature that currently addresses issues and problems as they arise.
In 2020 it was announced Canada would be the second country to have an astronaut fly around the Moon, aboard the Artemis II crew.
The as-of-yet unnamed crew member is scheduled to blast off in 2023 mission to orbit Earth’s satellite, similar to the Apollo 8 mission in December 1968.
Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian to walk in space tweeted after the announcement: “Two Canadian astronauts are going to the Moon! And soon!”
The Canadian Space Agency is playing a key role in the US-led Lunar Gateway, a new outpost planned to orbit the Moon as a staging post for deep space exploration.
The European Space Agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency are also joining forces for the deep space venture.
A Nasa spokesman said: “The Gateway is a vital part of NASA’s deep space exploration plans, along with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, Orion spacecraft, and human landing system that will send astronauts to the Moon.
“Gaining new experiences on and around the Moon will prepare NASA to send the first humans to Mars in the coming years, and the Gateway will play a vital role in this process.
“It is a destination for astronaut expeditions and science investigations, as well as a port for deep space transportation such as landers en route to the lunar surface or spacecraft embarking to destinations beyond the Moon.
“NASA has focused Gateway development on the initial critical elements required to support the landing – the Power and Propulsion Element, the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) and logistics capabilities.”
