Topic: Russian sues Nasa for comet upset

[Grim]

Russian sues Nasa for comet upset

Hours after a Nasa probe crashed into Comet Tempel 1, legal reverberations were felt in a Moscow court.

Judges in the tiny courtroom normally deal with matters much more mundane than space exploration.

But Judge Litvinenko opened hearings into a case which could see Nasa pay a local amateur astrologist millions of dollars in damages.

Writer Marina Bay claims that by slamming the probe into the comet, Nasa endangered the future of civilisation.

"Nobody has yet proven that this experiment was safe," says Ms Bay's lawyer Alexander Molokhov.

"This impact could have altered the orbit of the comet, so now there is a chance that the Tempel may well destroy the Earth some day!"

This claim was brushed aside by Nasa mission engineer Shadan Ardalan.

"The analogy is a mosquito hitting the front of an airliner in flight. The effect is negligible," Mr Ardalan told BBC News.

However, even if the comet stays at a safe distance from Earth, Ms Bay's own life, she thinks, will never be the same again.

An amateur astrologist, she believes that any variation in the orbit or the composition of the Tempel comet will certainly affect her own fate.

So Ms Marina's claims to be experiencing "a moral trauma" - which only a payment of $300m (252m euros; £170m) can put right.

This is roughly what Nasa has spent on the experiment so far.

Volunteers request

Moscow representatives of the American space agency have ignored Monday's court hearing.

But, by Russian law, this will not prevent the judge from continuing with the case.

Marina Bay's legal team remain confident, and they are even looking for volunteers to join in on the claim.

"The impact changed the magnetic properties of the comet, and this could have affected mobile telephony here on Earth. If your phone went down this morning, ask yourself Why? and then get in touch with us," says Mr Molokhov.

So now it is up to the Moscow Presnya court to find an answer to this, truly universal, question.

The final decision is not likely to be announced for at least another month.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4649987.stm


Well what can you say except that the woman is clearly 

 

[Dracho]

(Sniff)  Welcome to the League of Democratic nations Russia.  I am so proud..

[Chris Johnson]

People said that in TOS the Klingons the Russians of Star Trek and the UFP was the US of Star Trek, and even some said it was preferable to the more-oriental side of Klingons in the TNG-era.  In light of today's news, I wonder if it should be... I mean, I can imagine it:

Klingon Commander Kor sues Starfleet for Tribble Preservation

General Chang sues Earth for plagarism; Shakespeare's stories originally written as pieces of Qo'noS literature

Kang sues Kirk for the slap in the back

All in all, I agree about the ridicule of some things today in the world, even this story.  That pessimist woman must have gone insane that day...  "It was my comet!  Those meanies at NASA hurt it!  Waaaaaaah!"

*sigh* I don't get it, we're not going to die.

[OlBuzzard]

What I find even more amusing is that the legal system ( of ANY nation ) would actually waste time hearing these arguments.

ANYTHING for attention or for $$$.

to say that the lady was a bit

 

.....   is putting it mildly ...  but again ..  What does that say for the rest to actually listen to her instead of renting her a padded cell ?

[AlienLXIX]

The Russian leagal courts are board out of their minds? 

I believe there is ESP and such because I have done and seen things that science can't explane to me but that doesn't make it any less true.

But to say what she is saying is well ignorant and greedy.  So yeah she's 

[Just plain old Punisher]

Have troubble getting it up!?

SUE NASA!

[Dracho]

Actually, the Russians are making a point over the US court ruling regarding the Russian oil company the government siezed and sold to ex-communists.

[ELITE-Kaos]

The Feds running around without money and jobs for all....  Sounds Communist to me

Kill or be killed....  Sounds very USA to me.

Romulans as the Chinese maybe?

As for the womans claims I figure she maybe has figured out that in the US anything can be treid in a court of law so why not have a go!  She may be mad but I wish here the best of luck and I hope she wins just to teach NASA that they dont own space.