Category Archives: Space Law

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

Tuesday / 23 September 2014

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ASTEROIDS Act & The Outer Space Treaty: Stimulating Commercial Space Investment

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US House Committee On Science, Space & Technology Reviews ASTEROID Act To Analyze How It Can Legally Protect Investment In Commercial Asteroid / Moon / Solar System Enterprises; Space Law Expert Joanne Gabrynowicz Provides Insight On How New Act Can Adhere To Structures Of International Law / Outer Space Treaty By Limiting Space / Time Scope Of Extraterrestrial Commercial Enterprise Exclusive Zone To That Which Is Reasonably Necessary 

Image Credit: Space Democrats, io9

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 25-28 July 2014

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Entrepreneurs Look To Advance Commercial Lunar Development At NewSpace 2014

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NewSpace 2014 Ongoing In Silicon Valley As Space Week / Month Continues To Provide Inspiration & Direction; Property Rights Panel With James Muncy (L) & Berin Szoka To Examine Legal Steps In-Progress / On Horizon And How They Will Help Facilitate Space Enterprise; Andy Aldrin (R) Speaks On Using Existing Technologies To Make Order Of Magnitude Improvements For Space / Lunar Access; Moon Express – Of Which Aldrin Is President – To Sponsor Panel On Commercial Development As Catalyst For Lunar Exploration

Image Credit: NewSpace 2014, Space Frontier Foundation, Moon Express

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 11-14 July 2014

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Space Property Rights Bill In US Congress Could Facilitate Commercial Lunar Development

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US Representatives (L-R) Bill Posey (R-FL) & Derek Kilmer (D-WA) Introduce ‘American Space Technology For Exploring Resource Opportunities In Deep Space (ASTEROIDS)’ Act Of 2014; Bill Would Promote Private Exploration & Protect Commercial Rights Of Space Enterprises By Clarifying That Resources Mined From Asteroids Are Property Of Entity That Obtained Them, Ensuring US Companies Can Conduct Operations Without Harmful Interference; Act Specifically Addresses Asteroid Mining Yet Will Have Strong Influence On Moon Enterprise / Property Rights Issues

Image Credit: Planetary Resources, us.gov

 

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 16-19 May 2014

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Space Lawyers Outline Challenges Of Commercial Lunar Development At ISDC

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USA-Based Commercial Entities Seeking To Explore, Settle In And Exploit Resources Of Space / Moon May Be Hindered By International Law, Predominance Of Countries That See Space As Shared Resource; Boston Attorney Rosanna Sattler Says Country Of Origin Will Need To Be Responsible For Their Endemic Enterprises, International MoUs Allowing Specific Commercial Activities May Be Easier To Achieve Than A Whole New International Treaty; Other Experts Such As Art Dula Believe Private Companies ‘Absolutely Have The Right’ To Mine / Develop Moon, Asteroids, Etc.

Image Credit: Bigelow Aerospace, Excalibur Almaz, Here & Now