Hey, I was glancing at the news a little while ago and saw this:
http://news.yahoo.com/us-space-mining-law-spark-interplanetary-gold-rush-071747749.html
Text of the bill:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2262/text
I figured this might be relevant to our interests since we've talked before about how space colonization can become economically feasible. While I'm not sure this would spark a "Space Gold Rush," this does seem to be a step in the right direction. Setting up a legal framework for making sure space entrepreneurs can enjoy the fruits of their labor makes space exploration quite a bit more attractive, at least financially. The bit about licensing seems like it might come in handy as well. We've got a ways to go, of course, but at least we might get there a little faster with legislation supporting us.
>>13604832
Can the US set up legislature on it on their own given that space is kind of a global concern? Seems a bit presumptuous. I've yet to read the entire thing though so I may have missed something.
That said, I don't mind since as you say, it's one step closer and if it does become an issue in future there'll be no end of lawyers happy to charge by the parsec while they very slowly iron out the problems.
I recall seeing a TED presentation by a geologist who wanted to do a one way lunar trip in the vein of Shackleton and Scott risking their lives to go to the Antarctic. Something like that is probably necessary to set up a refining station and such before space mining will really take off I imagine.
>>13604992
Well, for now, the law just applies to U.S. citizens--it's a reassurance that if a U.S. citizen or company mines stuff from space, all that stuff is theirs--i.e the U.S. government itself won't get in the way of their profits, which is an incentive. You're right that in the future, we may have to get other countries involved (for instance, what if we send a miner up on another country's rockets or vice versa, which countries get dibs on which asteroids to mine, etc.) but that's a long way off.
>>13604992
>can the us set up legislature on it on their own given that space is kind of a global concern
The US owns the moon, mars and most other parts of space as well, commie
>>13604992
>>13605222
>>13607829
I do believe that, sooner or later, some amendments to the Outer Space Treaty will be made concerning commercialization of space assets.
![[OZC]Planetes E23 'Debris Cluster'.mkv.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/8ND6I4k.jpg "[OZC]Planetes E23 'Debris Cluster'.mkv.jpg")
>Space capitalists
>Not being space commies
>>13607888
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYqKQjVo30o
Commie space stations suck in design tho.
>>13607888
But the space commie leader gave up pretty quickly once he secured himself a comfy retirement.
>>13604832
Yeah, just exploit that environment! You fucking bastards, this is going to pollute space like nothing else. Forget the Kepler syndrome; our planet is going to turn out like Idolm@ster Xenoglossi@, with neverending meteors plunging into the atmosphere.
>>13611596
It's a concern, but I do think they might come up with 'space environment' legislation like they have for Earthly environments right now. It'll be different, of course, and I wager it'll focus primarily on space junk and safe disposal of large material that might be a hazard to spacecraft or might fall to earth, but I think it'll come up eventually.
>>13611780
And then you're just going to stripmine asteroids and planetoids without any regard for preserving the natural beauty for future generations. Without strict environmental oversight, space mining will just be the American industrial Revolution all over again, with the natural environment raped in the name of godless Capitalism.
>>13611596
>implying it's not zeeks future proofing by performing mini colony drops decades before the OYW even starts.
Earthnoids getting tricked again!
>>13611796
I don't think asteroids have all that much natural beauty, but speaking seriously I would like to see Mars be protected by environmental legislation, perhaps as a natural reserve belonging to all the nations of Earth. Some of the photographs Curiosity has taken are absolutely beautiful. I'd like to preserve that for all humanity.
>>13611596
>>13611796
Fuck off, Gbenga Oduntan
