Posted on 02/12/2014 12:38:55 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
NASA is now working with private companies to take the first steps in exploring the moon for valuable resources like helium 3 and rare earth metals.
Initial proposals are due tomorrow for the Lunar Cargo Transportation and Landing by Soft Touchdown program (CATALYST). One or more private companies will win a contract to build prospecting robots, the first step toward mining the moon.
The contract will be a "no funds exchanged" Space Agreement Act, which means the government will not be directly funding the effort, but will receive NASA support. Final proposals are due on March 17th, 2014. NASA has not said when it will announce the winner.
NASA works with private companies that service the International Space Station, and those partnerships have gone well. Faced with a skeleton budget, the agency is looking for innovative ways to cooperate with the private sector in order to continue research and exploration, as it did recently with a crowdsourcing campaign to improve its asteroid-finding algorithms. That campaign was launched with another private company, Planetary Resources, the billionaire-backed asteroid mining company.
According to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty of the United Nations, countries are prohibited from laying claim to the moon. The possibility of lunar mining and the emergence of private space companies has triggered a debate over lunar property rights, however.
"There’s a strong case for developing international law in this area because in 1967 it was not envisaged that anyone other than nation states would be able to explore the moon," Ian Crawford, a planetary science professor, told The Telegraph. "Clearly that is changing now and there is a case for developing the outer space treaty to include private organizations that may wish to explore the moon."
I wonder if those slime bags at the EPA will be monitoring their carbon footprint?
It would be pretty damned stupid to sign up with the “once was “ crowd at NASA. Just go to the moon via India or some other nation and start mining, if you develop the technology.
What is the current NASA going to do? Order a fatwa? Cursed be he who respecteth not our expired authority.
Wasn’t aware NASA owned the moon.
Neither was I. It is pretty arrogant.
Actually, I think it belongs to the Federal Reserve.
” Space Agreement Act, which means the government will not be directly funding the effort, but will receive NASA support”
Support = NASA goodie bag with a koozie (made in China), a 3 x 5 picture of Obama and a year reprieve on the Obamacare mandate.
And a Muslim prayer rug and Obama souvenir turban.
Still think it would be easier to go after asteroids, large rocks, and other things floating around out there instead of digging the moon.
How much has to be taken off the moon before it leaves our orbit?
I wonder if it has oil inside it.
We could just siphon it out with a long hose.
I think it would be the other way around. Mining the Moon and bringing the materials to Earth would make the Earth a bit heavier and the Moon somewhat lighter, increasing our gravitational pull and decreasing the Moon’s resistance. Would that affect the tides on Earth? Who knows?
It’s about time. But I’m always worried about actually adding more mass to the planet.
What exactly, do they intend to mine the moon for?
... not sure if this is up your alley or not.
Two possibilities are mentioned in the very first sentence.
I didn’t know NASA owned the moon?
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