Will moon mining be banned?

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

This year, five space mining companies plan to send missions to the lunar surface in the hopes of mining the moon for precious metals.

But a caveat in international space law could prevent the firms from cashing in.

The law states that parties can't appropriate any part of space, and if they do, the materials extracted will have to be fairly distributed.

The warning comes from Professor Sa'id Mosteshar, director of the London Space institute of Property and Law, who told The Sun: 'Once it becomes feasible [to mine the moon] the whole range of space treaties will kick in and the 16 member states that have ratified it will raise an objection to appropriating any part of outer space.

'There is an international treaty to which virtually every country in the world is a party to and that parties cannot appropriate any part of Space.

'Any individual they authorise to carry out Space activities must be subject to control.'

The warning comes shortly after Moon Express announced its plans to set up a mine on the moon to bring back precious resources, including metals and moon rocks.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/private-company-aims-land-moon-this-year-mine-it-riches-1604374

 

[dorsetknob]

Some one (Politician's from various country's) is going to argue that Space is already used for private commercial use and so those treaty's are unenforced(able).

For Arguments sake
use of Communication satellites for TV/Phones ect
Forthcoming private commercial hotel Space ( Biglow for one).
Where there is Potential for Profit Its going to be Exploited Laws be Dammed and Circumvented

 

[Devon68]

It should be banned.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

i added a poll

 

[dorsetknob]

It should be banned.

Want to buy a copy of the Ferengi rules of Acquisition only 3 strips (+ 1 slip Tax) of Gold Pressed latinum

 

[P4-630]

As if humans not destroy enough already....

 

[Ferrum Master]

Asteroids should be a better thing to mine.

But for initial stage of building a mothership(read deathstar)... there will be no options really...

 

[MIRTAZAPINE]

I would say absolutely no. The surface area of the moon less than half the size of asia. Judging by how fast humans deplete thing from mining, it would not take long for that rock moon to be depleted.

Asteroids are better options.

 

[FireFox]

Well, if they allowed Neil Armstrong they should allow anyone that want to go.

 

[dorsetknob]

Same laws and treaty's apply to Asteroids as they do to the Moon !

 

[Ferrum Master]

Same laws and treaty's apply to Asteroids as they do to the Moon !

Well... screw it

 

[FYFI13]

Heck why not to? If it contains any valuable resources, then mine out every single bit of it. It's like having an apple tree in your backyard and not taking any apples from it.

 

[R-T-B]

I'm not opposed to it in concept, but the law as it is written now is clear: They can't.

 

[GreiverBlade]

one wondering ... if they mine it, it will diminish the mass of it ... thus it will affect the effect that the moon has on earth, right?

that can't be good nonetheless ...

 

[rtwjunkie]

one wondering ... if they mine it, it will diminish the mass of it ... thus it will affect the effect that the moon has on earth, right?

that can't be good nonetheless ...

The moon has less of an effect as time goes on anyway. It is moving steadily away from the Earth, although at such a slow, almost imperceptible rate that it will be a billion years or more before the moon is finally free of our gravity and the Earth becomes nearly uninhabitable because of the loss of the moon.

If anything, mining the moon and bringing mass to Earth, will actually slow the rate at which the moon pulls away from us, due to less mass there and more mass here.

@Knoxx29, it's not about going there. It's about mining.

 

[silentbogo]

I think there is no way we can circumvent moon mining, if we want to go anywhere in space (including mining asteroids).
At some point there will be a pressing need for a launch station on the moon, and we won't be able to bring this many construction resources from Earth to build it.
Someone has to mine it, refine, bring them to usable condition etc. from the moon itself. Same goes for fuel (I hope by that time someone goes through with fusion rockets or some better alternative to current incendiary propellants).

 

[alucasa]

Allow it under a condition that they will maintain an active, manned, colony on Luna.

See how they react.

 

[jsfitz54]

First one to do it WINS!

WINNER makes the rules.

EDIT: What about the native inhabitants?

 

[FireFox]

@Knoxx29, it's not about going there. It's about mining.

The moon does not belong to anyone so screw the caveat in international space law.

 

[rtwjunkie]

The moon does not belong to anyone so screw the caveat in international space law.

Methinks you're not understanding....nations actually signed a treaty to make sure it doesn't belong to anyone.

 

[alucasa]

Wait until tech becomes advanced enough that traveling to Luna is like taking an air plane from Toronto to New York.

That treaty will be thrown away in a heart beat.

Of course, I won't be alive to see it. Oh well. What am I gonna do.

 

[silentbogo]

Wait until tech becomes advanced enough that traveling to Luna is like taking an air plane from Toronto to New York.

That treaty will be thrown away in a heart beat.

Of course, I won't be alive to see it. Oh well. What am I gonna do.

You never know, maybe by the time you are 80-something there will be a viable stem cell treatment, which will prolong your life until you are 150, the earth becomes an overpopulated mess, US elects a first transspecial president (probably a manbearpig), and disco makes a big comeback.

 

[Ferrum Master]

I know... it will be like in a Gundam plot

 

[dorsetknob]

one wondering ... if they mine it, it will diminish the mass of it ... thus it will affect the effect that the moon has on earth, right?

that can't be good nonetheless ...

Earth being bigger than the moon collects more space dust making it heavier
extra weight makes its orbit re the moon sink (further away )

US elects a first transspecial president

2016>> lad >>> 2016

Most People will not Object to Lunar Mining if the entire output of rescorce's are used to build an international LUNA Outpost
( never gonna happen)

 

[Sasqui]

You never know, maybe by the time you are 80-something there will be a viable stem cell treatment, which will prolong your life until you are 150, the earth becomes an overpopulated mess, US elects a first transspecial president (probably a manbearpig), and disco makes a big comeback.

Unless, of course, the Vogons need to make way for an interstellar highway and determine that the earth / moon is in the way. There won't be any planning board meetings on earth.

I think they should allow mining, but limit it to the face of the moon away from the earth. Outta sight, outta mind! Of course, this will stir up a big debate about lunar warming and Al Gore will make millions on the new documentary "A convenient truth"