Category Archives: Lunar Property Rights

Tuesday / 26 November 2024

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Multiple Events in Luxembourg, Include Moon Focus

Luxembourg, home of ISRU legal framework, hosts Moon Village Association (MVA) 8th Global Moon Village Workshop & Symposium 2-3 Dec co-hosted by Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA), MVA major annual forum for new ideas / progress reports about Moon exploration / utilization, lunar governance / industrialization / infrastructure / technologies; LSA also sponsors Luxembourg Space Week 2-5 Dec with NewSpace Europe 3 Dec for networking among start-ups / agencies / investors, IRG First European Interstellar Symposium 2-5 Dec featuring Pete Worden, ESA Space for Inspiration 4-5 Dec with Day 2 main session on Moon economy / logistics / communication / navigation

Credits: European Convention Center, Moon Village Association, Luxembourg Space Agency, Interstellar Research Group, European Space Agency

Friday / 11 October 2024

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Thomas Zurbuchen Urges NASA to Get in the Race, Lauds USA Public / Private Synergy

Zurbuchen, NASA head of science 2016-2022, oversaw 130 missions / 37 launches, founded CLPS program; published op-ed in Scientific American 1 Oct, notes 1960s space race triumph of USA over Soviets, urges similar effort now for “sustained long-term presence” on Moon because “whoever gets there first will set rules”; China has 4-for-4 success rate on landers, may interpret current “vague noninterference rules” to make “parts of the Moon … off-limits for anyone else”; Zurbuchen had “multiple meetings with Chinese leaders” during his NASA stint, knows union of American public / private “can accelerate and radically rethink space exploration”

Credits: Cory Huston/NASA, Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA

Friday / 10 May 2024

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NASA Soliciting Thoughts on Landing Site Value and Non-Interference in Lunar Operations

Expanding on Artemis Accords Section 11 (Deconfliction of Space Activities), which evokes legal concepts such as ‘due regard’ and ‘safety zones’ in consideration of activity on the Moon with potential to interfere in the activities of another signatory, NASA Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS) seeking guidance on landing site valuation (with special emphasis on MSP), how such value may degrade with contamination and mitigation measures; Secure World Foundation, Moon Village Association, For All Moonkind, Open Lunar Foundation among stakeholder groups working to formulate lunar policy; Questionnaire due 7 June 2024

 
Pictured: OTPS Associate Administrator Charity Weeden; Credits: CNSA, NASA

Tuesday / 26 Sep 2023

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NASA Team Suggests Framework for Consideration of Space Exploration Ethics in Artemis Era

Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS) report Artemis, Ethics and Society: Synthesis from a Workshop complies perspectives from 55 participants who gathered at NASA HQ to develop framework for moral evaluation of space exploration within the context of Artemis program and Artemis Accords, which proclaims ‘benefit for all humankind’, echoing Outer Space Treaty, National Aeronautics and Space Act, Moon Agreement; ~140 ethical / social issues deliberated under categories including definitions, decision-making, cultural values, sharing, environment, policy, and colonialism; OTPS to utilize proceedings to conduct internal study on key policy implications and open conversation to international partners

Pictured: Zachary Pirtle, Katherine McBrayer, Alyse Beauchemin of OTPS; Credits: NASA

Tuesday / 28 March 2023

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Institute on Space Law & Ethics to Consider Moral Theory for Off-Earth International Conflict Resolution

Space heritage preservation organization For All Moonkind (FAM) to engage legal and philosophical issues around human activity, resource utilization and hostilities with newly launched institute; President (L-R) Michelle Hanlon of UMiss Air and Space Law cites recent use of commercial Earth observation in the Russia-Ukraine War as highlighting need for ethical investigation and understanding; SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell has spoken on non-weaponization of Starlink; FAM Institute on Space Law & Ethics cofounders include Dan Hawk of United First Nations Planetary Defense, Space Analyst Namrata Goswami, SETI scientist John Rummel

Credits: For All Moonkind Institute on Space Law and Ethics, LinkedIn, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 13-16 Jan 2023

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As ispace Progresses Towards Moon, Significance of Planned First Lunar Mining Transaction Grows

Hakuto-R lander currently ~1,340,000km from Earth while ispace Mission Control working to execute series of deep space control maneuvers by late March in preparation for orbital insertion and first commercial soft landing in Atlas Crater (47.5°N, 44.4°E) NET late April; In addition to gathering environmental data and demonstrating various technologies, Hakuto-R Mission 1 to set precedent on commercial resource extraction by gathering regolith for sale to NASA under US$5,000 contract; Transaction sanctioned under US Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act of 2015, Japan Space Resources Act of 2021

Credits: ispace, MBRSC

Wednesday / 24 Aug 2022

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Several Lunar Businesses to Participate During NewSpace 2022 Conference in Seattle

Space Frontier Foundation continues annual NewSpace series with 49 speakers including dynamic Moon businesses & ventures: Gateway Habitation and Logistics Outpost contractor Paragon Space CEO (L-R) Grant Anderson; Xcraft interplanetary / lunar orbital vehicle builder Xplore of Seattle WA COO Lisa Rich; Breaking Ground trust lunar regolith contracted customer Orbit Fab CEO Daniel Faber; Ardoride spacecraft builder Momentus CTO Rob Schwarz (launching to Moon orbit NET 2024 with Qosmosys); Blue Origin, continuing to advance Blue Moon lander and lunar-hardened technology, will be represented by private Astronaut / keynote speaker Audrey Powers

Credits: SFF, Northrop Grumman

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 9-12 July 2021

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Moon Society Advancing Multi World Civilization: Property Rights and Lunar Acreage

Led by President Michael Mealling (R) with Support from President Emeritus Peter Kokh (C) and Vice President James Burk (L), The Moon Society Grew out of Artemis Project, Now Hosts Physical ‘Outposts’ in CA, AZ, WI, MO, TN, WA, TX and Virtual Mare Cognitum (Sea of Knowledge) Collaborating on Slack Workspace Platform with Goal of Lunar Settlement; Moon Miners’ Manifesto Published 1986-2019, Work Being Carried on by Luna City Press with Outbound Newsletter and Lunarpedia; Moon Base Design Contest Awards SGAC Team First Place for Domi Inter Astra (At Home Among the Stars) with Focus on ‘Polycentric’ Governance / Ownership Principles, Blockchain Intellectual Property Protections in Addition to Technical Life Support

Credits: The Moon Society, Space Generation Advisory Council Team, The Futurist Foundation

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 22-25 Jan 2021

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‘Engage With China Through UN, Retain Space Council’ Say Prominent USA Scholars And Commercial Space Figures

As Chang’e-5 Begins Extended Solar Observation Mission With Bearing Toward Sun-Earth L1 Point, Princeton Professor Emerita Anne-Marie Slaughter (L) Makes Studied Argument For Broadly Inclusive, Multilateral Lunar Resources Treaty With Global Stakeholders Including China / Zhongguo, Suggests Implementation Via COPUOS / UNOOSA To Avoid “Race To Bottom” Competition For Strategic South Pole Territory, Water Ice And Rare Earth Elements; Mandy Vaughn (R) President Virgin Orbit Subsidiary VOX Space Promotes National Space Council Continuity, Voicing Opinion At NewSpace New Mexico Event NSC Critical For Interagency Cohesion

Credits: New America, NASA, NSSA

New Year 2021 Edition
Thur-Mon / 24 Dec 2020 – 4 Jan 2021

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2020s Multi World Civilization: The Moon, Global Revolutions, Egalitarian Considerations

USA, Canada, China, India, Russia, Japan Commercial / National Efforts Towards Projecting Human Action To Moon Surface Are To Occur 2021; Crewed 2020s Landings Including First Woman On The Moon, Will Expand Sphere Of Female Activity Nearly 1,000,000,000X; Social / Moral / Legal Structure In Process Of Formation With Varied Approaches To Central Question Of Ownership – Viewed As Birthright Of Every Earth Inhabitant, A Land Share Arrangement Between ~8B Humans Allocating 9,383,748,198 Lunar Acres With Deference To ‘Right To Roam’ Of Antiquity And In Spirit Of Homesteading, Ensuring Access To Resources / Habitat, Would Be Equitable, Inclusive

Credits: NASA, CNSA, UN