Canada is taking a stand against crime—in outer space. Lawmakers in the North American nation recently passed a bill declaring that crimes committed by Canadians on the moon will be dealt with as if they had taken place in Canada itself. The legislation also applies to illegal activities that Canadians might perform while traveling to or orbiting the moon.
The law may sound out there. After all, only 12 people—all Americans—have set foot on the moon. The last was Apollo 17 commander Eugene Cernan in December 1972.
But the number of space flights is on the rise and a U.S.-led crewed mission to the lunar surface is less than two years away, with more moon missions to follow.
Also, the U.S. has teamed up with Canada and other nations to launch a space station that will orbit the moon, making visits to the surface easier.
As the moon gets more visitors, experts say, laws like Canada’s will become more popular—except, perhaps, with any space travelers who are caught red-handed!