Chinese Eyes Territorial Claim Of Outer Space

spacedaily.com ^ | 21 Jan 02 | Wei Long

[Brett66]

Very interesting. I suspected they would do this. They're going to set foot on the moon in about 10 years and their going to claim it or at least part of it. Stupid treaties, they're only as good as the paper they're printed on. Maybe we'll have the good sense to renegotiate some of these liberal do-gooder dunder-head treaties with an eye on serious commercial and military development. We should do this before they get to the moon instead of waiting for a crisis to develop.

[lizma]

It's mine. LEAVE IT ALONE!

[weikel]

Space should be privatized it will go nowhere until then. The FAA and NASA just won'tlet private citizens launch rockets.

[Brett66]

The Chinese may be about 40 years behind us, but we went to the moon 33 years ago. Looks like they might be celebrating the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 on the moon as we humbly look on with a sense of lost greatness.

[RightWhale]

I'm not intending to be critical, but I sat and thunk for a minute what space technology America might have that somebody would want. Anybody that wants to rent a ride can pick and choose between several good civilian boosters. The security gaffe that Loral committed was related to missile guidance, but the cat is out of the bag on that. The hybrid rocket from Thiokol was just testfired, but that's 60-year old technology.

If China wants to do this, nothing is stopping them except their own budget.

[Jhoffa_]

Will we have to apologize when they force the space shuttle down?

[RightWhale]

The FAA and NASA just won't let private citizens launch rockets

This whole impediment to human progress could be cleared up by Presidential fiat. One year in office, and still nothing about property rights in space. He said through his campaign spokesmen that he would look into it. We're waiting.

[RightWhale]

Will we have to apologize when they force the space shuttle down?

And pay room and board as well as landing fees.

[weikel]

I like Bush he is a busy guy and I agree space should be privatized but he should figure out how 1st. Bush is busy now with a warwe will probably be waiting awhile.

[Brett66]

The FAA and NASA just won'tlet private citizens launch rockets.

I believe you have to get approval of the rocket's flight plan,if it's big enough, with the FAA. Other than that, I don't believe there is anything to prevent a private individual from launching their own rocket.

Here's some guys that do it all of the time:

High Plains Rocket Society

Project HALO

National Association of Rocketry

[Cruising Speed]

Luna and all of space belong to the U.N. and private property is specifically outlawed.

We pulled out of the ABM treaty, I say we pull out of the U.N. Moon treaty (leave the U.N. altogether actually).

[ChaseR]

More B. S. from the bastard Communist Chinese elite!

[Brett66]

I've heard about this guy and I've visited his website. I've heard experts in space law comment on his claims. They don't seem to think he has a real claim to anything. I was tempted to purchase a piece of the moon though. It's pretty cheap. :)

[ChaseR]

"China has a plan. Their plan does not include NASA or America."

Yep! bttt

[weikel]

Hmmm I should buy one when I get outta College.

[weikel]

Hmm he'll have a lobby of people he has already sold pieces of the moon to back him up seems pretty smart to me.

[Brett66]

I just found an excellent site that breaks down his claims point by point and pretty much nukes them:

2.2. Arguments for Invalidating the "Extraterrestrial Real Estate" Claims

The first reason for invalidating the claims presented above is the lack of corpus possidendi. In the acquisition of possession, two concurrent elements - "the mind" and "the body" are required. One is insufficient without another; there must be "both an intention to take the thing and some act of a physical nature giving effect to that intention25". The first element required is the animus possidendi, the intention to possess. However, Dennis Hope can not own the Moon just because he wants to. He lacks the second element required in the acquisition of possession, namely the corpus possidendi; without an act of physical nature giving effect to the intention to take the thing, animus is insufficient. The Scottish jurist Stair has explained this in very illustrative terms: "if any act of the mind were enough, possession would be very large and but imaginary.26" As large as the Solar System, in the case of Hope, that has a very valid animus, but no corpus at all.

Here's a link to the rest of the article:

Lunar Real Estate: Buyer, Beware!

[Brett66]

Seems like an individual Chinese taikonaut could claim it if he sets foot there and that might hold up under legal scrutiny. Could he then give it to the Chinese government? I think they need to take a serious look at these silly laws. They're woefully inadequate to address the mischief that China is getting ready to foist upon us.