Category Archives: Lunar Property Rights

Friday / 22 January 2016

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Rocket Reusability Significant For Cislunar Space Development

Moon Rocket, Mining

Paul Spudis Article In Air & Space Notes Advancement Of Reusable Craft Capable Of Soft Landing, As Demonstrated By SpaceX & Blue Origin, Directly Relevant For Permanent Return To Moon & Supporting Missions To Mars / Solar System; Would Require Automated Landers & Reusable Propulsion Systems Utilizing Propellants Manufactured On Moon (Cryogenic Liquid O2, H, Methane); Inevitable Frequent Moon Missions & Cheaper Access To Space Bolsters Need To Define Lunar Property Rights

Credit: P. Spudis, NASA, EADS Astrium

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

Friday / 23 October 2015

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Stanford On The Moon 2015:
Sustaining And Realizing The Vision

SOM 2015

Stanford On The Moon Conference Being Held 23 Oct 15:00-17:00 At Stanford Campus Bld 260, Rm 113 In Conjunction With 2015 Stanford Homecoming Reunion; Will Feature Presentation By (Pictured L-R) SOM Founder Steve Durst & Stanford Director Of Development (Humanities & Sciences) Denise Ellestad On SOM Endowment Fund, Sasha Maldonado From Stanford Student Space Initiative, Jim Keravala From Shackleton Energy Co. On Lunar Property Rights: Who Owns The Moon?; And Introduction Of SOM Advisory Committee Members

Credit: SOM, ILOA, SSSI/S. Maldonado, D. Ellestad, Shackleton

Thursday / 14 May 2015

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Space Law Issues Raised As Asteroid & Lunar Mining Initiatives Advance

AsteroidMoon0515

Planetary Resources Launches 1st Of 2 Planned 2015 Asteroid Mining Demonstration Spacecraft Missions; Space Mining Experts Meeting In Canada Note Upcoming NASA Resource Prospecting Missions To Lunar Poles, Existing Canada & ESA Rovers That Could Be Used For Lunar Missions In Search Of Water-Ice; Experts Posit That Commercial Space Mining Is Likely Decades Away, Though Many Assert That A Mechanism For Regulating Space Mining / Addressing Property Rights Claims Needs To Be Established ASAP Before Commercial Asteroid & Lunar Missions Commence

Image Credit: Planetary Resources, NASA

Friday / 24 October 2014

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Stanford On The Moon:
2014 Homecoming Reunion Conference

SOM 2014 Reuninon Conference

SOM 2014 Conference With The Themes “Sustaining & Realizing The Vision: The Next 50-75 Years” And “Who Owns The Moon?” Will Feature Dr. Bob Richards Of Moon Express Inc. & Steve Durst Of SOM, SPC / ILOA On Friday 24 Oct From 15:00-17:00 PDT; SOM Focuses On Significant Lunar Presence & Center For Stanford University In The 21st Century

Image Credit: ILOA, NASA, Moon Express, Stanford University

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 15-18 August 2014

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Bigelow Aerospace Advancing Towards Goal Of Lunar Base

BigelowAstronauts0814

Preparations Underway To Launch BEAM Module To ISS In 2015, First Step Towards Independent Space Stations & Lunar Bases; Robert Bigelow (L) Believes Company Will Be Ready To Land Functional Lunar Bases On Surface Of Moon In 10 Years; ‘Lunar Depot Ares’ Would Have 990 Cubic Meters Of Habitable Space, House 12-18 Astronauts; Plan Hinges On Success Of Its Space Habitats, Lunar Property Rights Recognition, Interest From Private Companies / Nations; Bigelow Aerospace Intends To Form Sizable Astronaut Corps, Already Hired 2 Former Shuttle Astronauts, Plans To Have 4 More On Team By End 2014

Pictured: Bigelow Astronauts Kenneth Ham (R) & George Zamka

Image Credit: Bigelow Aerospace, NASA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 11-14 July 2014

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

TrillionsAsteroid0714

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

ISDCspaceLaw0514

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

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 28 Feb – 3 Mar 2014

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Who Owns The Moon?
International Missions, Commercial Aspirations

MoonpropRights0214

Successful China Moon Mission Indicates Property Rights / Mining Claims Not Far Off Says Richard Holdaway (R) Of UK Rutherford Appleton Lab; Several Commercial Enterprises Also Making Business Cases For Moon Mining; Richard Bilder (L) Of University Of Wisconsin-Madison Says Process Of Setting Up Legal Regime Should Be Started Soon Before 1 or More Countries / Companies Have Special Stake / Interest; Holdaway Notes Nations Likely To Become Partners & Lunar Resources Will Further Space Exploration, Improve Life On Earth

Image Credit: NASA, CNSA, law.wisc.edu, stfc.ac.uk