claim to mining rights

It is hard enough to raise capital for ventures in space. The
improvement requirement is an extra requirement that will make an already
difficult business proposition yet more difficult. Companies should be
able to secure property rights in advance of any physical contact with the
target body. Otherwise, the company will have to go before it's venture
capitalists with an argument something like,

"We're going to plan to mine asteroid 2000 SG344. However, if we run
into some glitch that delays us longer than the
property rights grace period, then we'll have to replan our mission
and choose a different target."

Such a replanning contingency would be costly, and any sane venture
capitalist would interpret that as financial risk. Methinks it would be
better to go before the VC and say,

"We've secured mining rights to 2000 SG344. No matter what delivery
delays we might encounter, our mining rights
will remain secure."

I feel the improvement requirement will slow the space industrialization
process by increasing financial risk.

Ron Menich

"Raven"
ssi_list@...
02/28/01 05:33 PM
Please respond to
ssi_list

> The biggest point in my original email has obviously been missed. The
> big part of the homestead act was you had to improve the property. In
> our case this means you have to start mining. Sending a probe would
> not constitute enough for a claim requirement.
Sending a probe and analyzing the roid *would* be improving that
tumbling piece of real estate. It would give greater knowledge about
it: useful when making your business plan. Also a company that has gone
through the expense and effort of sending that probe deserves the claim.
And if a company can expect all the competitors to hunt the roid that
they analyzed and found worthwile, they will be unlikely to send that
probe in the first place: business will be curbed.
Send a probe, analyze the results, and be given a grace period: if
you haven't done anything with the roid within that period, you lose the
claim. Only if probing a roid proves unnecessary to determine its worth
and make the plans should a probe be considered less than enough for a
claim.

Jon L. Beck