Landmark Decision Clears Way For First Commercial Lunar Flight

spacedaily.com ^ | 3 SEP 02 | staff

[RightWhale]

A license from NOAA. It's a start. Not that NOAA has anything to do with the moon.

[RandomUserName]

So if they're launching from Asia (not controlled by the US), and heading to the Moon (not controlled by the US), and traveling through empty space to get there (not controlled by the US), why would they bother to ask the US government for permission to do so?

[Willie Green]

The company expects to launch its Trailblazer Mission from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan within the next 9-12 months.

Serious question: did the Russkies ever land on the Moon?
or did they give up after we beat them there?

[RightWhale]

why would they bother to ask the US government for permission to do so?

It's probably that their plant, or part of it, is inside the US.

[Drammach]

What Licensing?
What "Permission"?

I thought it was agreed, Internationally, that the Moon belongs to no one nation, but the world as a whole.
I also thought this was a free country.
Since when does the U.S. Government have the right to regulate American travel into space?
Especially when this American company isn't even launching from the U.S., but Russia?

This is idiocy.

[RightWhale]

Since when does the U.S. Government have the right to regulate American travel into space?

They do, and it is not just one agency. If they were launching from American soil, there would be a lot more hoops to jump through, some on fire.

[hc87]

Serious question: did the Russkies ever land on the Moon? or did they give up after we beat them there?

The Russians made a series of unmanned landings on the Moon but never put a man on the Moon. They gave up after explosions destroyed two N-1 boosters (a Saturn V equivalent) in January and July of 1969. They did manage to pull off a soil-sample return mission in the early 1970s. More information can be found at:

http://www.astronautix.com/articles/sovstory.htm

[Frank_Discussion]

It's the ITAR regulations. Anything launched into space is considered possible ordinance, and is treated accordingly. It becomes doubly sticky when it is an international venture, and the TrailBlazer qualifies. Notice that the US State Department is involved, since they are concerned about technology transfer.

It's been a rough two years for this team. Congratulations to them!

[Frank_Discussion]

I agree, it is idiocy, but read my post #8. Simply put, if an American company wants to launch a payload into space and wants to involve a non-US commercial of government entity, it has been notoriously difficult to get approval. All other companies except TransOrbital have given up in the past.

This development is a benchmark in commercial space development.

[RightWhale]

ITAR:

---

Website

[Frank_Discussion]

Thank You!

[Willie Green]

Thank-you for the info.
I didn't think they had actually set foot on the Moon.
But then, perhaps I was also assuming too much that this would be a manned mission.
No reason why it can't be achieved roboticly.
Bully for them!
I'm glad to see the private sector taking this initiative.
It helps keep our taxes low and should make for some interesting documentaries on TV!!!
It's about time!

[RightWhale]

should make for some interesting documentaries

Yes, but that's all. They won't be able to extract lunar resources according to the UN Treaty on Outer Space.

[hc87]

I'm glad to see the private sector taking this initiative.It helps keep our taxes low and should make for some interesting documentaries on TV!!! It's about time!

Agreed. Full scale exploitation of space will only happen when private enterprise figures out a way to make money there.

[Frank_Discussion]

Nope. Individuals can obtain prospecting rights, but nations can't claim it as territory. However, that's only the letter of the law talking, reality is a different beast.

Let's put it this way: The West needs to get a firm foothold on Luna before China does.

[Willie Green]

They won't be able to extract lunar resources according to the UN Treaty on Outer Space.

Plenty of time to renunciate the treaty after something worth extracting is found.
IF something worth extracting is found.
Right now, nothing's up there but a bunch of sterile rocks.
No harm with having them go take another looksee, though.
If they actually find anything worthwhile, the UN will fade into history so fast it'll make your head spin.

[RightWhale]

Individuals can obtain prospecting rights

Maybe so, I don't know.

However, extracting resources would require licensing, and there are no countries who signed the UN Treaty who are empowered to grant resource extraction licenses.

[Kakaze]

" TransOrbital, Inc. has become the first private company in the history of space flight to win approval from the U.S. government to explore, photograph, and land on the moon. "

About DAMN time! We should be on mars now exploring and conquering space like we did the american west!

The only reason we haven't is those in gov't are afraid that after we get out there they will loose power over us.

[Frank_Discussion]

The US did not ratify the MOON TREATY of 1979, though we did sign up for the originating Outer Space treaty. The US can establish licensing.

The Moon Treaty is modification that very few original signatories supported. Why would anyone think that abolishing property rights is acceptable? The UN at work again...

[RightWhale]

The US can establish licensing

A country can license natural resource extraction only if it asserts some kind of ownership over the resource. The UN Outer Space Treaty allows no national ownership of natural resources of celestial bodies.