Ethicists Tell NASA How To Weigh Hazards Of Space Travel

I agree with this. First come first served. Go down the street and build
your own.

John Wayne Smith

In a message dated 4/6/2014 9:13:45 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
alglobus@... writes:

If you are building orbital settlements, property rights over heavenly
bodies is a moot point for the settlements themselves. Only when doing mining
does it become and issue, and the issues are quite different than on
Earth.

My understanding is that the only real treaty in force over space
explicitly forbids nation states from claiming lunar or martian territory. Thus,
governments cannot hand out bits of land as it isnt theirs in the first
place. Im sure this provision is a reaction to the endless wars driven by
European claims over not-European places.

In any case, for orbital settlements we dont need ownership. We just
need mining rights. Actually, we dont even need that. We just need
non-interference. I.e., if you start a mining operation on a moon, planet, or
small body you dont want someone else coming along and getting in the way.

This is unlike Earth where all the land is pre-owned and thus we need
elaborate property law to adjudicate conflicting claims. In space, there is
practically nothing. All that we need legally is the assurance that if we
start a mining operation no one will come along and mess with us which is
reasonable since there are lots and lots of other unused places to mine.
Someday that will change, but right now its all we need.

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John Wayne Smith

In a message dated 4/6/2014 9:13:45 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, alglobus@... writes:
If you are building orbital settlements, property rights over heavenly bodies is a moot point for the settlements themselves. Only when doing mining does it become and issue, and the issues are quite different than on Earth.
My understanding is that the only real treaty in force over space explicitly forbids nation states from claiming lunar or martian territory. Thus, governments cannot hand out bits of land as it isnt theirs in the first place. Im sure this provision is a reaction to the endless wars driven by European claims over not-European places.
In any case, for orbital settlements we dont need ownership. We just need mining rights. Actually, we dont even need that. We just need non-interference. I.e., if you start a mining operation on a moon, planet, or small body you dont want someone else coming along and getting in the way.
This is unlike Earth where all the land is pre-owned and thus we need elaborate property law to adjudicate conflicting claims. In space, there is practically nothing. All that we need legally is the assurance that if we start a mining operation no one will come along and mess with us which is reasonable since there are lots and lots of other unused places to mine. Someday that will change, but right now its all we need.
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