Does Asteroid Mining Violate Space Law? (Libs say yes)

Yahoo News ^ | 4/24/2012 | Yahoo News

[Dallas59]

Several well-known billionaires are forming the new company Planetary Resources with plans to send a robotic spacecraft to mine precious metals from an asteroid and bring them back to Earth. Google executives Larry Page and Eric Schmidt and their business partners say the enterprise will "add trillions to the global GDP."

But to whom do those trillions belong — the company, or everyone? Does a private company have a right to stake claim to an asteroid, or are celestial bodies such as the moon, planets and asteroids the communal property of all Earthlings?

"The law on this is not settled and not clear," said Henry Hertzfeld, professor of space policy and international affairs at George Washington University. "There are lots of opinions on the status here, and nobody is necessarily right because it's complicated."

The legal ambiguity hasn't needed to be addressed before, Hertzfeld said, because no company has previously come forward with a serious asteroid mining mission plan and the funds to back it. When the debate over space property rights is forced to ensue, old international wounds will likely be reopened.

[RedMonqey]

The only law that I can see having any relevance to this argument is the law of salvage.

Sounds plausible to me.

I would aid in case of the asteroid goes awry and heads towards earth, they would be responsible for damages....

That is if anyone is left alive...;--)

[cripplecreek]

One of my first sci fi reading experiences.

Revolt on Alpha C

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolt_on_Alpha_C

[Salohcin]

It is time for us to withdraw from the Outer Space Treaty and to update the 1856 Guano Islands Act to apply to resources found on asteroids and other celestial bodies.

I propose amending the 1856 law to read:

Whenever any citizen of the United States discovers a deposit of minerals on any asteroid, moon, or planet, not within the lawful jurisdiction of any other Government, and not occupied by the citizens of any other Government, and takes peaceable possession thereof, and occupies the same, such asteroid or territory within 50 miles of the point of occupation on such moon or planet may, at the discretion of the President, be considered as appertaining to the United States.

[BikerJoe]

Ever read Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress? :)

Throw another rock Mike.

[tacticalogic]

Throw another rock Mike.

Wye?

[Godzilla]

[Lurker]

Drop the “at the discretion of the President” crap and I’m with you.

[GreatRoad]

Possession is 99% of the law. Finders keepers losers weepers.

[6SJ7]

There’s a reason why so many sci fi novels are about rebellion against earth.

In Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress", the lunar colonists use mass drivers to drop meteorites on the earth. ("Here's your tax payment!").

[sten]

any financial benefit from mining asteroids would obviously belong to those that risked finances and/or worked on the endeavor.

obviously.

only the mentally diseased on the left could think those that take no risks, endure no hardships, and contribute no work deserve anything

and no, the ‘universe’ is not the property of the people of the earth. that’s patently absurd.

[Crucial]

There’s a lot of space out there. It just goes to show the Left’s insatiable appetite for control. It’s absolutely limitless.