WI Neil Armstrong murdered Buzz Aldrin?

Doctor What · Jan 3, 2006

Neil and Buzz land on the moon and are bouncing around. During one of the times that the cameras are turned off, the two of them get into an argument and Neil loses it and smashes Buzz's spacesuit faceplate with a rock--killing him virtually instantly.

What happens next? Who has jurisdiction over him? Can he successfully lie about the crime and get away with it? The two of them were the only ones on the Moon and Collins is in the orbital--what if Neil doesn't want to go back? What does NASA do? Is there a cover-up---and can it be successful?

Fellatio Nelson · Jan 3, 2006

Weren't they all serving officers (albeit perhaps seconded to NASA)? In which case, they could be punished irrespective of the location of the offence.

Personally, I'd keep the body, return to earth and then scuttle the module when it ditches in the sea.

I'd say Buzz took a bang on the head during the descent, went a bit crazy and then flooded the module, taking both it and himself to the bottom of the sea.

You can tell I am not a lawyer.

Scomerger · Jan 3, 2006

Doctor What said:
Neil and Buzz land on the moon and are bouncing around. During one of the times that the cameras are turned off, the two of them get into an argument and Neil loses it and smashes Buzz's spacesuit faceplate with a rock--killing him virtually instantly.

What happens next? Who has jurisdiction over him? Can he successfully lie about the crime and get away with it? The two of them were the only ones on the Moon and Collins is in the orbital--what if Neil doesn't want to go back? What does NASA do? Is there a cover-up---and can it be successful?

Doctor What, you have the silliest ideas.

Floid · Jan 3, 2006

Houston and NASA Command would be able to pick up the audio feed from when they were arguing, but if they somehow didn't then I always guess you could say he tripped on some rocks face first and smashed his glasspiece.

If you play your cards right you should be welcomed back on Earth as a hero and be forever famous.

Fenwick · Jan 3, 2006

They are American citizens so it would be easy to convict Armstrong. If two americans are in another country and one dies by the others hand America is allowed to try the case in Federal court, in this case the moon is declared property of the USA.

Doctor What · Jan 3, 2006

JEDCJT said:
Doctor What, you have the silliest ideas.

You haven't been here very long, have you, if you consider this 'silly'.

Read some of my other threads (or better still, my scripts in the ah.com series)--then we'll talk about 'silly'

Fenwick said:
They are American citizens so it would be easy to convict Armstrong. If two americans are in another country and one dies by the others hand America is allowed to try the case in Federal court, in this case the moon is declared property of the USA.

Actually--that would bring up a whole other set of potential legal problems, wouldn't it? Can the U.S. actually declare the Moon to be the 'property' of the USA?

Phenabob · Jan 3, 2006

WI Armstrong claims that some sort of "Lunar Insanity" overcame him and Aldrin once they landed on the Moon. He makes the claim it wasn't his fault by reason of "Lunacy" and that it's far to dangerous to send anyone back to the Moon again.

Fenwick · Jan 4, 2006

The Soviet Union recognized America reaching the moon, and the moon as a US research site. So that makes it American.

Also as for space Lunacy, how would that work in an airtight space suit? After some study couldn't they find out he was lying?

AMBOMB · Jan 4, 2006

Doctor What said:
Neil and Buzz land on the moon and are bouncing around. During one of the times that the cameras are turned off, the two of them get into an argument and Neil loses it and smashes Buzz's spacesuit faceplate with a rock--killing him virtually instantly.

What happens next? Who has jurisdiction over him? Can he successfully lie about the crime and get away with it? The two of them were the only ones on the Moon and Collins is in the orbital--what if Neil doesn't want to go back? What does NASA do? Is there a cover-up---and can it be successful?

This is the funniest what if I've ever read. The law that says it's a crime to kill an American outside the United States wasn't passed until 1984. I suspect he'd be immune from prosecution because I don't think he would've been in violation of any law.

Doctor What · Jan 4, 2006

Fenwick said:
The Soviet Union recognized America reaching the moon, and the moon as a US research site. So that makes it American.

Incorrect.

From wikipedia:

Though several flags of the Soviet Union and the United States have been symbolically planted on the moon, the Russian and U.S. governments make no claims to any part of the Moon's surface. Russia and the U.S. are party to the Outer Space Treaty, which places the Moon under the same jurisdiction as international waters (res communis). This treaty also restricts use of the Moon to peaceful purposes, explicitly banning weapons of mass destruction (including nuclear weapons) and military installations of any kind. A second treaty, the Moon Treaty, was proposed to restrict the exploitation of the Moon's resources by any single nation, but it has not been signed by any of the space-faring nations.

Several individuals have made claims to the Moon in whole or in part, though none of these claims are generally considered credible (see Moon for sale).

Fenwick said:
Also as for space Lunacy, how would that work in an airtight space suit? After some study couldn't they find out he was lying?

"Cabin fever". "Arctic madness". Many other terms.

Doesn't have to be something physically infecting him or anything--he could claim that he was 'psychologically affected'.

Difficult to prove. Also difficult to disprove....

AMBOMB said:
This is the funniest what if I've ever read. The law that says it's a crime to kill an American outside the United States wasn't passed until 1984. I suspect he'd be immune from prosecution because I don't think he would've been in violation of any law.

Really? Weren't they both still (technically) military? Aren't there rules for one military guy killing another, regardless of location?

GBW · Jan 4, 2006

Doctor What said:
Really? Weren't they both still (technically) military? Aren't there rules for one military guy killing another, regardless of location?

Armstrong became a civilian test pilot for NACA, the predecessor to NASA, in the 1950s. I think that means he was a civilian at the time of the Moon landing then. Aldrin, however, was apparently active military since he retired in 1972. Not sure what it would mean for a civilian murdering a serviceman.

fortyseven · Jan 4, 2006

Great what if. I remember an old thread that concerned US/SU claiming the Moon and then others including heads of religion also claiming it.

Piracy is still a crime even in international waters so murder on the Moon is still murder.

Floid · Jan 4, 2006

Piracy is only a crime in international waters if it's committed against citizens or the apparatus of a nation state, piracy itself is not illegal in international waters.

The rules regarding celestial bodies and space are different than those of international waters.

AMBOMB · Jan 4, 2006

Doctor What said:
Really? Weren't they both still (technically) military? Aren't there rules for one military guy killing another, regardless of location?

The UCMJ only applies to military personnel acting in the course of their duties.

Landshark · Jan 4, 2006

Order he could just say Aldrin fell over and smashed his helmet.

reformer · Jan 4, 2006

Well, if it is eventually descovered, it would be the makings of a great mystery novel. Almost wish one of the AH writers would do it. There would be an underlining question: was their lunar insanity, or was it cold blood? If the author was decent, the reader would never be completely sure.

Scomerger · Jan 4, 2006

Doctor What said:
You haven't been here very long, have you, if you consider this 'silly'.

Read some of my other threads (or better still, my scripts in the ah.com series)--then we'll talk about 'silly'

Actually--that would bring up a whole other set of potential legal problems, wouldn't it? Can the U.S. actually declare the Moon to be the 'property' of the USA?

Ok, then we'll talk. *JEDCJT hides an ax behind his back* It was an assumption, sir.

Fellatio Nelson · Jan 5, 2006

Landshark said:
Order he could just say Aldrin fell over and smashed his helmet.

Ooh, that sounds painful.

I mean, anyone whose ever caught it in their zip will know... but smashed??

oberdada · Jan 5, 2006

Crazy idea, i will try to be even crazier.
Neil manages to get back inside, knocks out Collins, flies back to Earth, landing in the caspian sea and seaks refuge in the Soviet Union, which leads to a diplomatic crises, followed by an atomic war. And then everybody dies.

fortyseven · Jan 7, 2006

That would make for a good book.