With 'Off-Planet' Mining Bill, US Congress Seeks to Privatize Outer Space

[eridani]

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/11/13/planet-mining-bill-us-congress-seeks-privatize-outer-space

In a bipartisan bid to encourage commercial exploitation of outer space, the U.S. Senate this week unanimously passed the Space Act of 2015, which grants U.S. citizens or corporations the right to legally claim non-living natural resources—including water and minerals—mined in the final frontier.

The legislation—described by IGN's Jenna Pitcher as "a celestial 'Finders Keepers' law"—could be a direct affront to an international treaty that bars nations from owning property in space. The bill will now be sent back to the House of Representatives, which is expected to approve the changes, and then on to President Barack Obama for his anticipated signature.

Pitcher continued:

The new Space Act allows ventures to keep and sell any natural resources mined on planets, asteroids and other celestial bodies. Commercial operations could reap trillions of dollars from mining precious metals like platinum, common metallic elements such as iron, and water, the “oil of space.”

The vote was celebrated by the Google-backed "asteroid mining company" Planetary Resources, which lobbied hard for the legislation and says "the market in space is ripe to bloom."

Planetary Resources president and chief engineer Chris Lewicki added: "Throughout history, governments have spurred growth in new frontiers by instituting sensible legislation. Long ago, The Homestead Act of 1862 advocated for the search for gold and timber, and today, H.R. 2262 fuels a new economy that will open many avenues for the continual growth and prosperity of humanity."

"This off-planet economy," he said, "will forever change our lives for the better here on Earth."

But there could be a snag. Along with Britain, France, and Russia, the U.S. is a signatory to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which reads in part: "Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means."

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[malaise]

1. Greed and arrogance on steroids

Can't wait for other life wherever to wipe out earth permanently - we really really suck.

[OakCliffDem]

2. You can buy mineral rights to plots on the Moon right now.

There are areas of the Moon where the mineral rights can be bought. Get yours now and leave a legacy of wealth to your descendants.

http://umlr.net/

[EL34x4]

3. Yeah, I'm sure those claims will hold up

When powerful consortiums start mining the moon.

I need to get into the business of selling absolutely nothing for $19.95.

[Monk06]

4. This is right up there with George Jetson's flying car. Mining isn't even economical on Earth right

now and the mining business is a notorious bubble industry plaqued by boom and bust cycles

That doesn't even address the problem of how to support off world mining in terms of infrastucture, production imputs and most of all markets/

I'll be going to the store with a jet pack before anyone opens a mining operation on the moon or anywhere else, especially for base metals which are overly abundant on earth

[GoneFishin]

5. Paid for by taxpayers, NASA brought amazing scientific breakthroughs to the public. Privatizing

NASA in some manner was necessary to prevent further innovations from falling into the public commons where it could benefit everyone without them paying extortion fees to some billionaire for the privilege.

The corporatist's playbook for privatizing a public entity is to starve it for funds, then sell it off. No valuable private asset would be sold off so shoddily or under priced as routinely happens when politicians sell public assets, which do not belong to them, to their billionaire friends for pennies on the dollar.

This is an end game for space exploration, to make damn sure that any exquisitely infinite bounty of resources from space exploration not be claimed by any government for the benefit of all it's citizens, but instead have it owned by some billionaire hoarder who can spoon it out like small bowls of gruel to slaves who must massage his feet and landscape the property around one his villa compounds.

[MohRokTah]

6. I completely support this. eom

[Katashi_itto]

7. Excellent. History repeats it self. West India Trading Co all over again.

I am for it.

It will get humans out there at least, and when enough are out there in 50 to 100 years way out at six months to a year away.

Let Earth try to micromanage operations then.

[MisterP]

8. the rapture, for nerds