Interplanetary Relations
This week’s writing prompt is inspired by the 50th anniversary of the day the United Nations’ Outer Space Treaty went into effect.
Today's creative writing prompt is inspired by the Outer Space Treaty, which went into effect on this date in 1967—exactly 50 years ago. The treaty provides a framework for international space law (yes, that's a thing) and peaceful space exploration, and was signed by the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States earlier that year. It includes the following rules, according to the United Nations:
[T]he exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and shall be the province of all mankind; outer space shall be free for exploration and use by all States; outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means; States undefined shall not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies or station them in outer space in any other manner; the Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used exclusively for peaceful purposes; astronauts shall be regarded as the envoys of mankind; States shall be responsible for national space activities whether carried out by governmental or non-governmental entities; States shall be liable for damage caused by their space objects; and … avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies.
With that in mind, here's your writing prompt:
It's the year 2967, and you are the delegate from the United Nations to the Intergalactic Committee for Planetary Relations. Your mission is to persuade the delegates from the other developed and armed planets on the Committee to adopt a variation on Earth's Outer Space Treaty in the interest of better intergalactic relations—but the vote needs to be unanimous. Everyone seems to be on board … except for the delegate from the planet Kryzlak, which is on tense terms with Earth following a dispute over mining colonies on one of Kryzlak's moons. What happens next?
Post your response (500 words or fewer) in the comments below.
Jess Zafarris is the Executive Director of Marketing & Communications for Gotham Ghostwriters and the former Digital Content Director for Writer’s Digest. Her eight years of experience in digital and print content direction include such roles as editor-in-chief of HOW Design magazine and online content director of HOW and PRINT magazine, as well as writing for the Denver Business Journal, ABC News, and the Memphis Commercial Appeal. She spends much of her spare time researching curious word histories and writing about them at UselessEtymology.com. Follow her at @jesszafarris or @uselessety on Twitter.
