Category Archives: Space Law

Tuesday / 22 Sep 2020

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AIAA In Conjunction With Dynetics Publishes Report On Requirements Of A Sustainable Moon Economy

Ensuring Economically Viable Lunar Settlement, Released 19 Sep, Summarizes Contributions Of 200+ Individuals From Academia, Industry And Government During ASCENDxCo-Lab On Economically Viable Lunar Settlements 29 July, Moderated By Kathy Laurini; Document Urges Engagement Of Terrestrial Expertise (e.g. Telecommunications, Mining, Energy, Transport, Logistics) And “Prompt Development Of Clear Regulatory And Legal Standards” From Government / Space Agencies Along With Funding Of Long Term Projects Such As Lunar Telescope; Defines Economic Viability As “Ultimately Underwritten By Private Capital”; Recognizes “New Figures Of Merit” Will Be Required To Evaluate Business Cases

Credits: ESA, NASA, AIAA ASCEND

Friday / 8 May 2020

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Moon Dialogs Research Salon Fosters Interdisciplinary Discussion On Lunar Development

Hosted By Secure World Foundation, ASU Interplanetary Initiative, Open Lunar Foundation And MIT Media Lab Space Exploration Initiative, Virtual Series Of Presentations And Conversations Regarding Human Moon Use; Inaugural Session On Lunar Resources, Martin Elvis (L-R) Of Harvard Spoke Of Key Geography: Peaks Of Eternal Light, Shackleton Crater, Malapert Mountain And Mare Moscoviense; Political Scientist Alanna Krolikowski Spoke On Organizational Matters; Discussions Led By Timiebi Aganaba-Jeanty Of ASU, Jessy Kate Schingler Of OLF, Ariel Ekblaw Of MIT And Christopher Johnson Of SWF, Past And Future Sessions Available

Credits: SWF, OLF, MIT, ASU, JAXA

Tuesday / 5 November 2019

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China Considers US$10 Trillion Earth-Moon / Cislunar Economic Zone

With Chang’e-4 Operating On Lunar Surface And Chang’e-5 Slated For Launch In 2020 On Long March 5, China Is Considering Establishing A Cislunar Space Economic Zone; Bao Weimin (R) Of China Aerospace Science And Technology Corporation Reveals Decades-Long Plan At Seminar On Space Economy; Key Technologies Would Be Finished By 2030 Including Long March 9 Heavy Lift Booster, And Regular Transportation To Moon Established By 2040; Earth-Moon Region Could Potentially Generate US$10T In Commerce By 2050

Credits: CAST, CNSA, Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 25-28 May 2018

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ISDC 2018 Holding 2 Full Sessions On Moon Development

National Space Society Hosts 37th International Space Development Conference (ISDC) And ~300 Speakers In Los Angeles 24-27 May With Theme “Space Travel: Putting People Into Space”; Thursday Session And Dedicated Entire Saturday Moon Exploration Symposium Co-chaired By (L-R) Madhu Thangavelu & John Mankins Will Feature Clive Neal, Bernard Foing, Henk Rogers, Steve Durst, Kate Arkless Gray And 20 Others On Topics Including International Moon Village, Lunar Economics & Markets, Astronomy From Moon, Lunar Settlement, Commercial Space, Landers, Habitats, Future Directions

Credits: NSS, NASA, ESA, Moon Village Association, University of Notre Dame, ILOA

Friday / 6 Apr 2018

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Preserving Apollo Moon Landing Sites For Research Recommended By White House

White House Office Of Science & Technology Publishes Report “Protecting & Preserving Apollo Program Lunar Landing Sites & Artifacts”; Recommends Studying Long-Term Effects Of Lunar Environment Including Extreme Temperatures, Lunar Dust, Micro-Meteoroids, Solar Radiation On Over 187,000-kg Human-Made Materials Left Behind By 6 Apollo Missions; Opportunity For International, Commercial Cooperation With Future Moon Missions To Survey On A “Reciprocal, Transparent, Mutually Beneficial Basis”

Credits: NASA, White House, Lunar and Planetary Society

Friday / 30 Mar 2018

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Updates To Outer Space Treaty Could Define Space Regulations

During COPUOS 57th Legal Subcommittee Session 9-20 April At Vienna International Center, Countries To Discuss General Principle Consensus On Space Resource Policy Which May Be Necessary To Enable Moon And Mars Settlements, Potentially Prevent Conflict Of Interest In Space; Vidvuds Beldavs Proposes International Regime Could Govern Moon Resource Extraction Focused On Safety, Sustainability, Equitable Sharing By All Countries; Common Heritage Of Mankind Concept Inclusion To Prevent Exploitation, Encourage Preservation For Future Generations 

Credits: NASA, Space, UN, Vidvuds Beldavs

Tuesday / 24 November 2015

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Lunar & Planetary Exploration Advance With Mining Potential Under U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act (CSLCA)

11242015H.R. 2262 Bill To Allow American Enterprises To Own / Sell Materials Mined From Other Celestial Bodies May Spur New Off-Planet Economy; House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R) States “This Bill Will Unite Law With Innovation Allowing The Next Generation Of Pioneers To Experiment”; Honeybee Robotics Beginning Field Testing Of Drill For Hard Surfaces On Mars / Other Planetary Bodies & Has Several Lunar Technologies Addressing Lunar ISRU With Robotic Percussive Digger & Pneumatic Miner; Shackleton Energy Co. Working On Solutions To Mine Lunar Ice For Conversion Into Rocket Fuel; Moon Express CEO Bob Richards (L) Also Praises CSLCA Stating “Our Goal Is To Unlock The Resources Of The Moon For The Benefit Of Humanity”

Credit: Honeybee Robotics, Shackleton Energy Company, Moon Express, Congress.gov

Thursday / 12 November 2015

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Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act Bolsters NewSpace, Encouraging For Lunar Property Rights

11122015Private Aerospace & NewSpace Enterprise Emboldened By The Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act (S. 1297) Passed Earlier & Further Passage Of H.R. 2262 Allowing U.S. Citizens To Own Asteroid Resources They Obtain As Property; “This Off-Planet Economy Will Forever Change Our Lives For The Better Here On Earth” (L-R) Chris Lewicki President Of Planetary Resources; Rick Tumlinson, Deep Space Industries Co-Founder “This Bill Is A Historic Step Forward”; Bob Richards Of Moon Express Plans To Mine The Moon For Resources Including Gold, Cobalt, Iron, Palladium, Platinum, Tungsten & Helium-3; President Of Polispace & Co-Founder Of Space Frontier Foundation James Muncy Avidly Supports Commercial Space Entrepreneurship

Credit: NewSpace 2015, Deep Space Industries, Planetary Resources, Moon Express

Wednesday / 4 February 2015

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US Government Takes Step To Support Commercial Development Of Moon

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Federal Aviation Administration Supports Request From Bigelow Aerospace To Recognize Private Sector’s Need To Protect Assets & Personnel On Moon, Expanding Scope From Launch Licensing To Lunar Activities Of US Companies; More Legal & Diplomatic Work Still Needed As Issues Regarding Lunar Property & Mineral Rights Pending; Bigelow To Test Inflatable Habitat At ISS This Year, Moon Habitats Around 2025; Moon Express Intends To Return Moon Rocks / Regolith In 3rd Mission

Pictured: TR- FAA Associate Administrator George Nield, BL- Robert Bigelow

Image Credit: Bigelow Aerospace, faa.gov

Tuesday / 25 November 2014

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Commercial Moon Mission Plans Raise Issues Of Moon Litter

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UK Commercial Mission To Leave Time Capsule On Moon South Pole Has Space Environmentalists Questioning Ethics Of Littering Moon With Human ‘Artifacts’; Outer Space Treaty Says Nothing About Regulating Moon Trash & No Central Authority Enforces Laws On Moon; Currently Over 70 Spacecraft On Moon & ~180,000 Kg Of Human-Made Materials On Moon; UK Mission Currently Crowdfunding For Projected 2024 US$1B-Mission, Initial Campaign Already Raised Over Half Of US$941K-Goal With 23 Days Remaining

Image Credit: Lunar Missions Ltd, NASA