[clee1]

The US needs to start approving those private space licenses very quickly

Since when does the US Gov't own space? And why should anyone have to apply to the holy Federal Bureaucracy for "permission" to explore it?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Think about China on the Moon. Do you think they'll play nice and work with us?

[GeronL]

don't ask me. Maybe they will need to program their SAM's not to attack them

[Qwinn]

"Since when does the US Gov't own space? And why should anyone have to apply to the holy Federal Bureaucracy for "permission" to explore it?"

It's actually not a license to explore space - it's a license to build missile or other delivery systems necessary to explore space that could also be used to, for example, deliver a nuclear bomb halfway around the world.

There's laws against that. Call it an "assault missile ban". It's not totally unreasonable. But the overall effect is indistinguishable from making it a requirement to get a license from the government to be able to explore space.

Qwinn