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| Image: J. W. Draper—London Stereoscopic Company/Getty Images |
In 1967, the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, or Outer Space Treaty, was created in order to dictate what countries are allowed to do in space. Initially, it halted the nuclear arms race between the Soviet Union and the United States from encroaching into space, but in the world of advanced technology, entrepreneurs are testing their limits in space as well. For example, Elon Musk claims he will have colonists sent to Mars in the next 12 years; Jeff Bozos, CEO of Amazon, has founded the company Blue Origin that is funding the mission to have people working in space. Moon Express, a private company, is attempting to bring samples from the moon back to Earth, a feat that surpasses even that of NASA's. However, in doing so, the company ran into an issue last year because commercial companies "require authorization and continuing supervision of the United States government. In working with the Federal Aviation Administration, Moon Express gained approval for one of their potential launches. Other companies are moving forward with the hope the government, too, will approve the projects.
The works of another company, Planetary Resources, brings up more questions concerning space rights. Their goal is to "mine the solar system's asteroids." As of now, they wish to mine ice water from the moon. After, the company plants to mine other precious metals, which raises the question of who is allowed to profit from the extractions. In 2015, President Obama signed a law, which Congress passed, stating that "private companies can sell and own what they extract." So far, the House has a written bill dictating the time frame for whether the Office of Space Commerce will approve or not approve a company's application. The bill has not yet passed in the House and the Senate is working on their own.
Questions:
1. Do you think that private companies should be allowed to do whatever they want on the moon? Should they at least be allowed to mine it for materials?
2. If private companies are allowed to mine the moon for materials, do you think they should be allowed to sell it for profit?
3. Will allowing private companies freedom on the moon ultimately wreak havoc upon it?
3. What other thoughts do you have?
13 comments:
I think mining resources from space should be allowed, and I think that - at least at first- they should be able to profit from this venture. If there was no incentive to pour all these resources into space exploration, then less companies would even want to do it, and I wouldn't get to know what else is out there on the moon or in space. If things get out of hand, legislation can always be passed, and the regulations on mining from the moon or asteroids can be put in place. As far as mining from the moon and wreaking havoc are concerned, I'm not sure what this would mean for us. I'm not a scientist, so I can't really say what this would entail exactly. This could cause a good deal of harmful space debris, or perhaps we'll discover an ancient alien race that will wipe out humanity. Either way, I believe its worth pursuing.
I do not believe private companies should be able to make business of of the moon because there is no real claim to it. we know it belongs to the US but we have not discussed in termms on wether it belongs to the government or to the states or local government
The mining of resources on the moon should be allowed. If companies are not allowed to profit for harvesting resources from the moon then we are going to miss out on many resources. As long as there are no negative consequences companies should be allowed to do whatever they want on the moon. In addition, if companies can not sell the resources they wouldn't mine for resources in the first place. Like Connor said if we ever got to the point of over mining then international legislation can always be passes to regulate mining. The resources on Earth are declining, I think it is a good idea to look else where.
I agree with Tommy. If a private company wants to use their own money to make their way to the moon they should be allowed to do so while knowing the risks they are taking. There is no harm in just looking.
In the United States, private companies cannot randomly start mining a field that isn't theirs, and the same concept applies to the moon. Just because we are going to miss out on resources does not give companies the right to start mining the moon unwarranted. There has to be some international legislation by the UN, for example, that permits companies to obtain permits to extract materials for the moon, but allowing all companies to mine the moon is reckless and illogical.
I agree with Jason in that there must be some international legislation passed to dictate who has permission to harvest materials. It wouldn't hurt to pass some preliminary laws. If there isn't any legislation, private companies could just mine from the moon until it's nearly nothing because who's to stop them? I think that mining for resources should be done in moderation because I don't really know anything about the moon and what can be done with it.
I think mining the moon should be approached carefully. Since we are slowly losing resources that can be found on earth we may have to use what we can find in space. I don't think companies should be able to do whatever they want on the moon but they should be allowed to see what they can find that might benefit people on earth. I don't know how much research has been done to indicate the effects or consequences of the space mining, but I hope there is enough to decide that this is safe. Especially at this early stage there should be clear regulations about who is allowed to go up there and how they are allowed to use what they find.
I'm more excited for the mission to Mars... https://youtu.be/E4FY894HyF8
One of the largest issues here is simply the sovereignty of the moon. The United States may have made a claim on it, but is it really feasible to claim a moon? Especially with the current levels of technology, the moon is virtually undefendable, and any “ownership” of it is more for show than practical. Much like when European settlers landed in the Americas, their land claims were often conflicting or simply of an outrageous magnitude. Perhaps in the future actual claims can be made on interstellar bodies, but right now it seems to be a new frontier. Like the Western frontier, there is no way to enforce laws at this point and really anyone with the power to exploit it will seem to have little resistance. Perhaps this is why the government is allowing private companies to exploit the moon. They can tax revenue if sales are made legally, and they have no way to prevent illegal mining in space.
Companies should not have businesses on the moon. Humans are already distructing the planet we live on so I feel like it's best to just leave the moon and all other planets alone. It is great to want to learn more about space, however that's all that we should do. Stop trying to take businesses to places that don't need businesses.
I personally don't think private businesses should be able to do whatever they want on the moon, especially because it really belongs to no one. As Gabby said, we've already caused destruction to our own planet through industrialization, the growth of large corporations, and unfathomable consumption. We really have no reason to exploit the resources beyond our own planet, and I don't think we should be trying to make a profit off of resources in space. If we normalize the presence of private US businesses in space, we may see an unprecedented amount of businesses across the globe trying to get a part of the profits out there. Exploration is always a great idea, but when profits become a part of the equation, problems arise. We already have enough problems on Earth.
I don't think that private business should be able to profit from space's resources. We have already destroyed earth's environment in the name of profit and industry, and therefore we need to make sure companies do not do the same to other planets. However, if companies want to attempt their own space explorations they should be allowed to, for it may help the world overall in our attempts at space exploration, they just have to be heavily regulated.
The increase in carbon dioxide, increase in global temperature, decrease in arctic ice, and rising of sea levels are just a few examples that humans have caused more harm than good to the earth’s environment. Allowing companies to do business on the moon for economic purposes would only cause more harm to it, but maintaining a system that keeps the moon from becoming depleted of resources would be the best compromise for companies as well as the environment. If companies do mine for materials, they should be able to sell it for profit, otherwise, their time would’ve been wasted. Ultimately, getting resources from the moon would be beneficial initially, but would cause more harm overtime.
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