The NASA that put humans on the moon didn't recognise fake annexations
They should remember their history and fix their map of Ukraine.
NASA screwed up during their eclipse broadcast this week, showing a map of Crimea separated from the rest of Ukraine.
Ulyana Krychkovska-Bogdanova and Tetyana Oliynyk
It’s probably just one content person picking some generic map software. Some will argue the map just reflects realities on the ground anyway, blah, blah.
But we remember when the Baltic countries were also occupied by Moscow and were also being erased from maps.
NASA would never join in with that.
Rewind.
Just weeks before launching Apollo 11 in 1969, the US invited the nations of the world to submit goodwill messages that could be carried to the moon and left alongside the plaque about coming in peace for all mankind.
73 countries understood the assignment and responded in time with their messages.
Despite being under occupation, that included Estonia and Latvia’s highest representatives who wrote congratulations on behalf of the Estonian and Latvian people respectively.
Ernst Jaakson and Anatols Dinbergs were both diplomats stationed abroad before the occupation, and then both stranded without a government to represent.
Nevertheless, they continued showing up for work and were therefore able to do things like send a message to the moon.
The US, like other free countries, simply refused to recognise Moscow’s sham annexation and so refused to hand over Baltic diplomatic buildings.
They always recognised the Baltic countries as independent in international law and therefore continued to treat diplomats like Jaakson and Dinbergs as legitimate representatives.
Despite plenty of active communication between Washington and Moscow at the time, there is no goodwill message from the Soviet Union on the moon.
Either Moscow didn’t want to be included as equals on a list with Estonia and Latvia as independent Republics (plausible) …or Moscow just didn’t have the competence to get a letter signed off at short notice (also plausible!)
Time was running out back on Earth though.
The Baltic countries could be represented by diplomats it had already sent, but had no ability to send new diplomats while under occupation and without a government.
Based on “realities on the ground”, Moscow was sure it could run down the clock.
But Jaakson and Dinbergs completed their half century mission.
They outlived the Soviet Union and remained in post long enough to ensure legal continuation of their Republics. Both were promoted to Ambassadors when their governments returned.
So every time you look up at the moon, remember their words still up there on the Sea of Tranquility.
"On behalf of the Latvian nation I salute the first men on the Moon and pray
for their safe return,” wrote Dinbergs. “May their achievement contribute to world peace and restoration of freedom to all nations."
“The people of Estonia join those who hope and work for freedom and a better world,” wrote Jaakson.
Also, every time you look up at the moon, remember occupation can be defeated. We must stick to our values.
