Audacious Tactics

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>If we divide this figure by 100 million, to account for cost and
>difficulty of processing the asteroid, Orbital Development is easily
>world's richest company's with US$15.84 trillion in net present
>assets, with no current debts.
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>Well folks, perhaps if we ask in a kindly fashion, Orbital
>Development can fund some efforts to remove some of the technical
>hurdles that are facing us as we endeavor to develop space. They
>sure have the net worth to bankroll us.
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That, of course, is exactly his plan (I think he hopes to build both a
reusable space transport system and a space elevator with the money).

I gave Greg Nemitz a bit of a forum in the Moon track at this year's
ISDC (http://isdc.nss.org/2003/) to have his say - he's not completely
off the wall, but I have to say the general audience reaction to his
statements was laughter...

However, the question of how does one initiate property ownership of
celestial objects (or parts thereof) is something to be taken very
seriously. Greg's approach is probably not going to work (but who knows
- I'm not a lawyer!) I think there is a much more serious alternative,
discussed here a while ago - http://www.spacesettlement.org/ - Greg
Nemitz is one of the most vocal opponents of the Space Settlement
Initiative, for obvious reasons.

So, can celestial real estate and mining rights be privately owned? How
will we develop space without those rights? Under what conditions should
those rights be granted or recognized? Any lawyers out there on the list?

Arthur