Space Law Expert: Before First Asteroids Are Mined, Legal Framework Must Be Improved

Originally posted by yourmaker
how does someone actually lay claim to anything?

really, if we can just start claiming stuff like that then I formally claim one of Jupiter's moons "Callisto".
you read it here first.

reply to post by ChaoticOrder

Oh no ya don't... You can have Callisto but I here and forever lay claim to Europa for the future of Rabbit's everywhere. Someday, that shall be our new home!


Seriously though.. I'm thinking no one can really claim a moon or planet. The war back here on THIS one wouldn't leave anyone left to get there after some moron of a leader claimed Jupiter or Saturn as their personal gas bag.

I'm thinking that Asteroids though...heck, they're endless for number and variety and if someone can't share from THAT many, well...I suppose Airlocks work whether there is something beyond the outer door or not. They can complain in the designated area, outside.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

So why did the Apollo astronauts plant a stars and stripe on the Moon?

Originally posted by artistpoet
reply to post by Wrabbit2000

 

So why did the Apollo astronauts plant a stars and stripe on the Moon?

It's always the simplest questions.....

Seriously though..., bragging rights.

If you want to ask "why" though... how about - Why did the perform a Masonic Ritual at the landing site?

reply to post by Maxmars

Because they were Masons

reply to post by artistpoet


Oh the things we use tax-payer dollars for..... must have also been... bragging rights.

reply to post by Maxmars

Yes perhaps a simple case of bragging rights but it is interesting that no other nation has landed a man or woman there.

Originally posted by artistpoet
reply to post by Wrabbit2000

 

So why did the Apollo astronauts plant a stars and stripe on the Moon?

I think it's nothing more than a case of mankind's Vanity, and I'd say we all earned it on that one. A Flag for future generations to go check out the leftovers of is the least we could leave behind for the effort.

I also think the reason why the Soviets didn't follow us to the moon was that the whole point of taking the enormous risks, costs and pure nightmares of getting there and back alive were only worth seeing through while being the FIRST was still possible. They kinda lost interest when there wasn't a point to planting their own flag. Now...it sounds like some definitely want to get back there.

when it comes to asteroids..it should be whoever can get there can claim it

Originally posted by Duceis
when it comes to asteroids..it should be whoever can get there can claim it

But you have to get there before the Aliens do.
Seriously - Space should not be up for grabs by individuals
Perhaps the idea of ownership rather than stewardship is not a Universal constant.

reply to post by Duceis

when it comes to asteroids..it should be whoever can get there can claim it

That is not what the law currently says. What the OP has pointed out is correct; there is a great deal of ambiguity as to whether a private corporation could, for example, crush an entire small asteroid into rubble and pick out the good bits. This might be construed as contrary to the Outer Space Treaty. Large corporations tend to be risk averse. They do not like the idea that their costly activities might be met with fines, penalties or embargoes.

Economically, industrial scale asteroid mining does not make sense. Asteroids are composed of exactly the same elements as Earth, in roughly the same proportions. Unfortunately, they are not distributed as systematically. Except for a handful of remaining proto-planets, like Vesta and Ceres, they are not large enough for the heavier, more valuable elements to sink and concentrate in the center. Pulverizing the entire asteroid and sifting through the debris would be expensive, and not yield any more metal than a much less expensive process on Earth.

What does make economic sense is mining asteroid minerals to sell as luxury items, their value coming from the fact that they are extremely scarce and expensive to obtain. If several kilograms of an asteroid could be obtained and returned to the Earth, it could be used to make jewelry, incorporated into tile used to make a mosaic, embedded in custom designed furniture, and so forth. Wealthy people would be willing to pay a tidy sum for a wedding ring set with Pallasite:

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by Maxmars


So this means that the governments of the world are at fault if they even consider keeping secrets from the general public. Someone should sue the government for not making information readily available. There is evidence somewhere from reliable sources that a court case was won against the government that made 900 articles on ufos available and they kept the rest locked up for the "safety of earth". I say another case should be filed to get those documents

reply to post by SpaceBoy97

So this means that the governments of the world are at fault if they even consider keeping secrets from the general public. Someone should sue the government for not making information readily available. There is evidence somewhere from reliable sources that a court case was won against the government that made 900 articles on ufos available and they kept the rest locked up for the "safety of earth". I say another case should be filed to get those documents

Not exactly. What the treaty says is that all space faring nations must share scientific data gathered in space, which they do. It also says that they must share information that may affect the safety of the Earth. Solar flares, Earth grazing asteroids and other potential hazards are not only monitored continuously, but that information is easily accessible to the public in a variety of places. What does any of that have to do with UFOs? These are seen in the Earth's atmosphere, and generally reported by the public.

The law of get off your ass and go get it if you want it should apply. Governments have given up on space exploration, private companies have taken over. Now, they [ politicians ] will want to reap the rewards of someones else's work, as usual. Yes, they should be liable if they were to lose control and crash it into Earth or satellites, but all profits should go to those with the foresight, nerve and plain guts to go out there. Minimal taxes should apply because these guys are bringing us more of what we need, without tearing up the planet.
Once again, governments making things more complicated than they have to be.

There is something about this scenario that bothers me. What if we bring something down here we can't control? Some ancient unknown virus that we have no means to stop? Remeber what happened when we took germs into space and brought them back? They got stronger! We may bring something here that has just been waiting for a fresh ecosystem to destroy. I don't like this at all.

Originally posted by DJW001
reply to post by SpaceBoy97

 

that made 900 articles on ufos available and they kept the rest locked up for the "safety of earth".

What does any of that have to do with UFOs? These are seen in the Earth's atmosphere, and generally reported by the public.

They keept them hidden for the "safety of earth" and tptb are meant to make these available to the public along with all the other monitoring of space

reply to post by Oannes


that doesnt sound good. if only we had some form of commitee that takes concerns like this and turns it into petitions for the public to sign and present those petitions to all the space faring countries of earth. Then we could possibly be the people that start the process that passes a law to prohibit the towing of asteroids into earths atmosphere

reply to post by SpaceBoy97

They keept them hidden for the "safety of earth" and tptb are meant to make these available to the public along with all the other monitoring of space

Who are "they?" And the Outer Space Treaty says nothing about Earth based observations of suspected aircraft. That's the last there is to say without taking this thread further off topic.

reply to post by SpaceBoy97

that doesnt sound good. if only we had some form of commitee that takes concerns like this and turns it into petitions for the public to sign and present those petitions to all the space faring countries of earth. Then we could possibly be the people that start the process that passes a law to prohibit the towing of asteroids into earths atmosphere

There is such a committee:

www.oosa.unvienna.org...

reply to post by DJW001


The governments of the world. tptb. the big shots. The guys that run this town. those who are above the law because they are the law. thats what "they" are my good friend.