Category Archives: Lunar Property Rights

Tuesday / 22 Dec 2020

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‘Breaking Ground’ Trust Signs Agreement With Intuitive Machines, Aims To Be First Private Purchaser Of Lunar Material

Open Lunar Foundation Of Silicon Valley, Through ‘Purpose Trust’ Breaking Ground, Intends To Buy Moon Regolith From Multiple Sources, Experiment With Various Management Strategies; Privately Funded Group Cites 2015 USA, 2017 Luxembourg, 2020 UAE Space Legislation Interpreting Commercialization Of Extraterrestrial Resources As In Accordance With 1967 Outer Space Treaty; Trust Fashioned Along ‘Steward-Ownership’ Model; Transaction Between Private Parties Will Establish Norms / Framework For Earth-Moon Commerce; IM R&D VP Timothy Crain Says Initial Agreements Are “Building Blocks For Future Trade In The Solar System”

Credits: IM, OLF, ILOA Hawai’i, CSYS

Thanksgiving Weekend Edition
Wed-Mon / 25-30 Nov 2020

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Proactive Measures On Property Rights Needed To Achieve Harmonious Lunar Development

Thought Leaders At Center For Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian, King’s College London And Missouri University Of Science & Technology Urge Serious Consideration Of Finite Materials (Water, Helium, Iron) And Locations (Peaks Of Eternal Light, Cold Traps, Level Building Sites) On Moon; Artemis Accords And Outer Space Treaty Need To Be Enhanced With Clear Guiding Principles Such As Those Set Forth By Moon Village Association To Avoid “Diverse Actors Pursuing Incompatible Ends” Vying For Areas “Both Few And Small” With Unfavorable Outcomes

 

Credits: NASA, SETI

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

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 11-14 Sep 2020

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Who Owns The Moon?

Administrator Bridenstine Says In Order “To Stimulate And Normalize The Extraction And Sale Of Lunar Resources” NASA Will Pay US$15,000-$25,000 For In-Situ Collection / Cataloguing 50-500g Of Material; USA Moon Expert Clive Neal Declares Action A “Paradigm Shift”; Canada, Russia Leaders And Scholars Expressing Concerns, As Are Europe Officials, Moon Village Association; Asia Spacefaring Powers India, China, Japan Have Yet To Comment On Possible Egalitarian Considerations And Solutions; China Chang’e-5 Moon Sample Return Mission Late 2020 Readies Attempt To Mine Up To 2kg Of Regolith, Return To Earth, Long Before Any American Or Other Moon Lander Is Expected To Touch Down

Credits: NASA, UND /  Washington Post

Friday / 1 May 2020

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USA Declaration Of Intent To Mine Moon Generates Interest Among Earthbound Industry

Executive Order Signed 6 April Prompts Consideration Of Imminent Lunar In-Situ Resource Utilization And Recovery As CNSA Chang’e-5 Mission To Collect 2.2 kg Of Regolith Approaches; Terrestrial Mining Powers Such As Canada, Rich In Both Natural Resources And Human Expertise, Recipient Of World-Leading US$7.9B Annual Investment In Mineral Extraction, Will Play Vital Role In Adaptation Of Remote Mining Technology To Moon Conditions; CSA Distributes $150M Through Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program (LEAP), Fostering Lunar Geology Science

Credits: TransAstra Corp, Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science, NASA, JPL, Caltech, GSFC, Roscosmos, SVS

Friday / 10 Aug 2018

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For All Moonkind, Preserving The Past For The Future, May Become Observer To UN COPUOS

Nonprofit Organization ‘For All Moonkind’ Recommended By UNOOSA To UN General Assembly To Be Granted Status Of Observer To COPUOS, Which Would Allow For Participation In International Discussions On All Space Topics; The Team Of Volunteer Space Lawyers & Policymakers Is Working To Create Protocols To Identify & Protect Universal Lunar / Space Heritage Sites, While Planning For Development; Status With UN Committee Could Help Advance Vital Issues Of Property Rights And Resource Extraction

Pictured: For All Moonkind Founders: Michelle and Tim Hanlon; Credits: For All Moonkind, NASA, UNOOSA, COPUOS, M. and T. Hanlon via Twitter

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

Friday / 23 Mar 2018

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Japan Funds Space Start-Ups And Considers Lunar Land Ownership Laws, India Researching Lunar Habitats

Japan Government To Offer US$940M (100B Yen) To Space Start-Ups To Double The Scale Of $11B Space Industry In Japan By 2030s; Planning To Give Commercial Companies Up To $100,000 Each, Japan Also Considering Drafting Laws Similar To USA And Luxembourg For Ownership Of Space Materials & Property; India In Talks With Japan For Lunar Polar Exploration Through 2018 Meetings, Hopes For Mission Proposal By March 2019; India Junior Minister For Space Jitendra Singh Confirms ISRO R&D On Lunar ‘Igloo’ Habitats

Pictured (L-R): Japan Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, India Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India Junior Minister Jitendra Singh, ispace Founder Takeshi Hakamada; Credits: ISRO, JAXA, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Tue / 4-8 November 2016

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Reclaiming The Moon: America’s Preeminence In Space Starts With The Moon

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Days Before USA 2016 Presidential Election, Congressman Jim Bridenstine (Rep-OK, Center) Discuses American Space Renaissance Act At LEAG Meeting For National Security, Economic Growth & Leadership, Stating “NASA Should Utilize Somewhere We Have Already Pioneered – The Moon”; Moon Could Provide Resources (Water, Solar Power, Regolith, Helium-3), Testing Ground For Human Solar System Complete Exploration & Settlement; Putting The First Woman On The Moon, Venturing For Science & Observation To Unexplored Moon South Pole, Solidifying Humans As Multi World Species Would Boost Any & Every Nation; Clear Vision Outlined By Incoming 2017 USA Administration From LEO To Moon And Beyond Could Set Up Strategic Path To Human Exploration Of Outer Solar System By End Of Century

Credits: NASA, US.gov, ESA, Foster + Partners

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 3-6 June 2016

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SSR / PTMSS In Golden CO To Advance In Situ Resource Utilization

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Space Resources Roundtable (SRR), Planetary & Terrestrial Mining Science Symposium (PTMSS) In Collaboration With Colorado School Of Mines (CSM) And Lunar & Planetary Institute (LPI) Will Convene The 7th Joint Meeting On June 7-9 In Golden, Colorado; There Is Renewed Interest Worldwide In ISRU Activities And The Program Will Cover Related Issues With Regards To Moon, Mars And Asteroids Over 9 Technical Sessions; SRR Is Led By Angel Abbud-Madrid (T) Of CSM And The Program Speakers Includes John Hamilton (B) Of PISCES (Hawaii), Byung Chul Chang Of ISERI, Hanyang University (South Korea), Numerous NASA Representatives, And Others

Credit: SRR / PTMSS, CSM, PISCES