The Outer Space and Moon Treaties and the Coming Moon Rush

spacedaily.com ^ | 18 Apr 02 | Bill Carswell

[Brett66]

I thought you probably were joking, but I've seen more than a few on these threads that really believe that. Thank you for not being a tin-foil nut. ;)

[weegee]

But it has something anyway: location.

Great location but no atmosphere...

It's ours. I don't see any other flags in it. I'm sure that some moon god religious group will also lay claim to the moon as their relgious property.

[weegee]

If she had her way, it would probably be mapped into her jursidiction.

[weegee]

My ancestors own the sun. Pay up or I'll shut it down awhile...

[RightWhale]

The Navajo Nation claims it. Guess it's theirs; too late for those who just noticed the moon.

[weikel]

How dare you claim you own the Emperor's sun your a member of the rebel alliance and a traitor LOL.

[Brett66]

The Navajo Nation claims it.

I guess us evil Americans are going to have kick some Indian butt again. ;)

[weegee]

Vader's empire was quite enterprising. They built their own moon.

[Tuor]

My book says go forth and multiply. What book are you using?

To be honest, it also says we're supposed to take care of the planet. Part of having dominion is being responsible for the thing we have dominion over, not just using it indescriminately. Do you *really* think God meant 'trash the world to satisfy yourselves'?

I'm not against using what is available, but it'd be wrong for us to be irresponsible or to misuse what we've been given. We're just caretakers; we're not the Owner.

Tuor

[weegee]

I can see the top of Mount Everest from the ground but until I climb it and plant a flag, I've only been window shopping...

[Publius6961]

God did not put it there. Its not ours and we should explore, but not exploit. If we could wean ourselves off our diet of throwaway metals we'd never even think about it.

I suppose it doesn't matter what you or I think.
But I happen to believe that, yes, God did put it there.
Now as for the perennial nonsensical myth about metals...

Are you aware that we have more metals on earth today than say... at the beginning of the industrial age?
Ever heard the scientific assertion that matter can be neither created nor destroyed?
Not by homo sapiens, in any case.

[Tuor]

And yes, well spotted, I live in a village in China.

Then think on this: if we are ever to truly throw open the gates to the Universe through ships able to convienently go to the stars, then any of us will easily be able to travel until they come across a place they like and can settle there...you could create a whole planetary society that runs just as you would like, and no one else would care.

The Universe is bigger even than the greed or envy of Man can overcome -- big enough to hold a place for everyone.

But first we have to get out there.

Tuor

[weikel]

2 of them actually with an advanced society with billions of star systems under your control you could probably mass produce Death Stars.

[Ahban]

On what basis do you make the assumption "God did not put it there" (referring to the creation of the universe)?

Is this just a statement of faith on your part, or do you have some evidence?

[RightWhale]

bump

[borghead]

Clarino, your english is way too good for a person born and raised in china, are you a visiting american or something?

[altair]

However, due to its provisions prohibiting the ownership of natural real estate in space, the treaty was virtually ignored by the world community. Only nine countries have ratified it and just five others have signed it. The cold shoulders it received from the primary spacefaring nations have all but sealed its fate as an irrelevant document in the larger scheme of space development.

It's too bad so many other bad UN treaties don't share this one's fate.

[wretchard]

Possession is 99% of title. Onward USA.

[altair]

That is correct. NASA has claimed a monopoly on transport to Earth orbit with the cooperation of the US Department of Transportation. It is long since time NASA should be defunded and corporations allowed to take over.

[borghead]

there needs to be a nationalistic bent to space exploration, states and its populace will only embrace space exploration when they can call what they colonized "theirs" instead of belonging to everyone, this is simple capitalism.