Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ames.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!hao!ames!al From: al@ames.UUCP (Al Globus) Newsgroups: net.space Subject: Re: Private space miners Message-ID: <1248@ames.UUCP> Date: Thu, 7-Nov-85 20:15:35 EST Article-I.D.: ames.1248 Posted: Thu Nov 7 20:15:35 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 9-Nov-85 06:35:04 EST References: <> <823@nmtvax.UUCP> Organization: NASA-Ames Research Center, Mtn. View, CA Lines: 25 > If I were to build a spacecraft, as a private company, which was > capable of travel to the asteroid belt, are there any enforceable laws > out there that would prohibit me from mining rare earths, gold, platinum, > and the like and returning earthside to sell the product? I don't think so, but I'm no lawyer. > > I do recall the UN has an Outer Planets Treaty, and that there is > also one that claims all extra-terrestrial resources to be "common human > heritage". The so-called Moon Treaty was not ratified by the US Senate. > I think there was also an international treaty restricting the > role of spaceflight to individual governments, No, but there is something along the lines of governments being responsable for regulation of satellites launched from their soil. > as well as a United States > law prohibiting private spaceflight. No. As a matter of fact, it is official US policy to encourage private spaceflight. Thank Mr. Reagan for that.