Editorial: Space oddity when it comes to rules

Paul Brooks

NEW Zealand's burgeoning space exploration industry and subsequent proliferation of astronaut training centres has led to the Outer Space and High Altitude Activities Bill ... because we need laws governing our rocket programme.

It's an interesting piece of legislation, couched in legal jargon, with a clause that is causing not a little argument.

Following all the permits and licences information and clauses outlining secure areas and places where people should not be, there is this:

"76 Taking photographs, etc, or samples from debris recovery area

(1) A person commits an offence if the person, without the permission of an enforcement officer or other authorised person, - (a) takes any photograph, makes any sketch, plan, model, or note, or otherwise records any image of any thing that the person knows or ought to know is in a debris recovery area."

Those are my italics.

The bill has yet to become law, but the above is causing some consternation.

Here is a scenario. Something falls out of the sky. It lands with lots of noise and possibly some damage in an area where there are people. Most of us have phones and cameras, so there will be an immediate reaction of photo snapping.

Anyone nearby will capture the digital image - and they will all be breaking the law because it is in "a debris recovery area" and, even though it is not cordoned off yet or signposted, they should have known.

The penalty is a short prison term or a fine - or both.

That means neither press nor public can photograph it. So if it's not recorded - did it happen? Which leads to: Why pretend it did not happen? Who gains? Or who loses, apart from the press and public?

Does this secrecy only apply if a rocket fails? Do we celebrate a success or is that classified, too? Is this really happening here?