Posted on 05/21/2016 5:40:05 AM PDT by BenLurkin
Though it’s not widely known or talked about, there are legal implications to launching things into space. In the US, each and every launch by a private company has to have clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). That’s because the US signed the Outer Space Treaty in 1969, a treaty that sets out the obligations and limitations to activities in space. The FAA has routinely given their ascent to commercial launches, but things may be starting to get a little tricky in space.
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The Outer Space Treaty was signed in 1967, and has some sway over space exploration and colonization. Though it gives wide latitude to governments that are exploring space, how it will affect commercial activity like resource exploitation, and installations like settlements in other planets, is not so clear.
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Article VI states that all signees to the treaty “shall bear international responsibility for national activities in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, whether such activities are carried on by governmental agencies or by non-governmental entities.”
Article VI also says, “the activities of non-governmental entities in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, shall require authorization and continuing supervision by the appropriate State Party to the Treaty.”
What this language means is that the US government itself will bear responsibility for the SpaceX Mars mission....
The treaty itself is mostly focused on avoiding military activity in space. It prohibits things like weapons of mass destruction in space, and weapons testing or military bases on the Moon or other celestial bodies. The treaty also states that the Moon and other planets and bodies cannot be claimed by any nation, and that these and other bodies “are the common heritage of mankind.”
(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...
I have a list of lawyers I’d love to see make the trip. :)
“Mankind,” eh?
Well, THAT’S gonna hafta change. It’s gonna hafta be “LifeKind,” or possibly, “Conscious Entity Kind” I’m thinking. I mean, “Mankind” is terribly species-ist, isn’t it? Can’t have that...
The Outer Space Treaty was signed in 1967, and has some sway over space exploration and colonization. Though it gives wide latitude to governments that are exploring space, how it will affect commercial activity like resource exploitation, and installations like settlements in other planets, is not so clear.
Every path can be smoothed with the right grease.
I like how “the government” can sign a treaty that binds NON-government (private) entities...
I remember when my former employer ‘felt the need’ to change our divisions name to make it sound more gender “friendly”. Most of the employees were like, “Sheesh. Really?” Wouldn’t it be more important to take care of the task at hand? Guess not.
Sheesh.
CC
The first experiment they should be doing even before the arrival of humans on Mars should be release of tiny micro bacteria, maybe like sign of cyanobacteria, which thrive in a high CO2 environment and serve to release oxygen as a waste product.
that should be the very first thing they do.
but I am completely sure that some Enviro troll will totally prevent this, perhaps for decades.
I’m sure, if you took the borders of the U.S., and extended them infinitely UP, govt can claim Constitutionality... /s
What if they’d center all launches/touch-downs in international waters? Does the treaty still have precedence?
>The first experiment they should be doing even before the arrival of humans on Mars should be release of tiny micro bacteria, maybe like sign of cyanobacteria, which thrive in a high CO2 environment and serve to release oxygen as a waste product.
Are you CRAZY?! Just think of the destruction of introducing a non-native species. Think of enviro-ecological impact! The devastation to the natural local flora/fauna! Think of the Erf, I mean Gia, I mean...the KIDS /s
The FAA has routinely given their ascent to commercial launches,
****”
Assent, even.
Huh?
I like how "the government" can pass a law that binds NON-government (private) entities ...
Lunacy. The governments feel like they should actually make the rules away from the planet. If Mars was ever successfully colonized, they would have to fight a war of independence to escape DC.
If DC acts stupid, he could just go to Russia or China or some other place that will flip DC the finger.
We probably signed it to avoid the space gap. General Turgidson approves.
But remember, it took an African-American like Elon Musk (he was born in South Africa) to land a rocket on a barge in the ocean. ;-)
the Law of the Sea (LOST) treaty, which the globalists have been pushingnfor years now is based on the same premise- that any profits for such things as drillimg in international waters is something that should not go to private investors, but rather, be distributed to third-world hellholes.
We signed the Space Treaty primarily to block the Russians. We were still worried they would get there first. So the Space Treaty was to inhibit the Russians from using the Moon in case they got there first.
Might be good to take a boots on the ground look before starting planetary engineering. Can’t rule out finding something interesting or useful, based on just the modest operations a few exploration rovers have conducted.
A space habitat for living space, complete with simulated gravity (spin?), would be a lot faster than transforming a planet (multiple centuries minimum). Need large quantities of water and gas for an atmosphere-—and a way to prevent the solar wind from stripping it all away as fast as can be put in place-—unless planning to live under a dome.
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