Does Asteroid Mining Violate Space Law?

[curlycool89]

Originally Posted by TheTrueCentrist

My reading is that if some other company wanted to mine the same asteroid, Planetary Resources would have no legal recourse. They would have to allow the other company to also operate on their asteroid. I don't think its saying that we can't exploit resources in space, just that we can't claim some region in space as our own.

I think you misunderstood me, of course you can mine an asteroid. You are correct though, there are no property rights and some other company could mine the the asteroid.

Originally Posted by JimG

Of course, the English colonists in North America were in theory still subject to England as well, but that didn't work out.

Well, that's a distinct possibility, although we have to develop technology to survive in space first.

Originally Posted by Oblaidon

Maybe the moon also should be free domain. If you are willing to colonize the moon or develop a station there, you should be able to do it freely as long as you are able to populate the station or use it on a regular basis.

The Moon is covered by the same Outer Space Treaty. No one can claim any part of the moon as their own territory.

[Trader]

Given the enormous cost of space travel, entrepreneurs would need to locate an astreroid made of solid cocaine to make a profit from mining; Many South American governments would object to that. Still, a government that subsides obsolete solar cell technology and ethanol production from corn might be dumb enough to subsidize such a venture for someone with the right political connections.

[Tenofovir]

Originally Posted by markomalley

From Space Magazine:[indent][font="Georgia"]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."

I'm pretty sure that while in theory these asteroids "belong" to everyone or their appointed representatives, in practice it will always work out that those with more money and power will always benefit the most.

[septimine]

Originally Posted by Dale_M

As the article makes clear, international law is unclear regarding this topic. But limiting the exploitation of asteroids or other bodies in space isn't without earthly precedent.

The continent of Antarctica is protected from commercial exploitation and development by the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. And national claims to sections of the land were suspended by the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 and related agreements.

I think the laws are what holds back space exploration. If we had this kind of nonsense in 1500, no one would have settled the new world. People moved and faced the dangers because they would be able to make money -- Spain sent thousands of expeditions in search of gold. No one went "just to see what is there" -- it was dangerous, dirty, and lonely work. Space is all that and then some. It costs millions to launch a man into space and if there's no profit to doing so, it's going to end up being a lark rather than a serious attempt to found colonies and mine resources. And larks are easily abandoned.

[JimG]

Originally Posted by septimine

I think the laws are what holds back space exploration. If we had this kind of nonsense in 1500, no one would have settled the new world. People moved and faced the dangers because they would be able to make money -- Spain sent thousands of expeditions in search of gold. No one went "just to see what is there" -- it was dangerous, dirty, and lonely work. Space is all that and then some. It costs millions to launch a man into space and if there's no profit to doing so, it's going to end up being a lark rather than a serious attempt to found colonies and mine resources. And larks are easily abandoned.

I agree. And even though the moon is a close enough celestial object to be considred a part of the earth, even the treaty prohibiting private ownership of any part of it could simply doom further moon exploration. What company would take the risk for no potential benefit?

[TheTrueCentrist]

Originally Posted by Trader

Given the enormous cost of space travel, entrepreneurs would need to locate an astreroid made of solid cocaine to make a profit from mining; Many South American governments would object to that. Still, a government that subsides obsolete solar cell technology and ethanol production from corn might be dumb enough to subsidize such a venture for someone with the right political connections.

Asteroids are made out of rare metals like platinum. There is incredible profit potential.

[Nec5]

You only possess what you can defend. Therefore, space materials are free game until some powerhouse sets up shop and enforces its territory. International law is largely a joke if it is not enforced.

[MugenOne]

Asteroids are the communal property of all Earthlings alright, but yet they could destroy us all. I'm all for neutralizing asteroid risk and making profit at the same.