Marina Bai
Encyclopedia
Marina Bai is a Russia
n astrologer
who sued NASA
in July, 2005 for US$300-310 million. She claimed that the Deep Impact NASA probe that crashed into the Tempel 1 comet will interfere with her astrology work because the comet would no longer be the same, claiming it "ruins the natural balance of forces in the universe".
The amount she is suing for is almost as much as the mission cost, and she claims the right to compensation for her "moral sufferings". She stated that the comet has special significance for her family—when her grandparents met, her grandfather pointed out the comet to her future grandmother.
Her case was originally thrown out of a lower court on the ground that Russia had no jurisdiction over NASA, but the ruling was overturned when her lawyer was able to show that NASA's office in the US Embassy in Moscow
does fall under Russia
n jurisdiction.
Marina's case began to be heard in a Moscow court in early September, 2005. Vladimir Fortov, a Russian physicist
, said that the collision had no effect on the Earth and that "the change to the orbit of the comet after the collision was only about 10 cm." The case was eventually rejected.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n astrologer
Astrologer
An astrologer practices one or more forms of astrology. Typically an astrologer draws a horoscope for the time of an event, such as a person's birth, and interprets celestial points and their placements at the time of the event to better understand someone, determine the auspiciousness of an...
who sued NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
in July, 2005 for US$300-310 million. She claimed that the Deep Impact NASA probe that crashed into the Tempel 1 comet will interfere with her astrology work because the comet would no longer be the same, claiming it "ruins the natural balance of forces in the universe".
The amount she is suing for is almost as much as the mission cost, and she claims the right to compensation for her "moral sufferings". She stated that the comet has special significance for her family—when her grandparents met, her grandfather pointed out the comet to her future grandmother.
Her case was originally thrown out of a lower court on the ground that Russia had no jurisdiction over NASA, but the ruling was overturned when her lawyer was able to show that NASA's office in the US Embassy in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
does fall under Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n jurisdiction.
Marina's case began to be heard in a Moscow court in early September, 2005. Vladimir Fortov, a Russian physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
, said that the collision had no effect on the Earth and that "the change to the orbit of the comet after the collision was only about 10 cm." The case was eventually rejected.