Bush Uncertain About Space Center Visit

newsday ^ | 4 Feb 03 | AP

[RightWhale]

Bush Uncertain About Space Center Visit

SPACE CENTER, Houston -- President Bush is no longer so sure he's been here before.

A day after telling reporters that Bush had visited Johnson Space Center while serving as governor of Texas in the 1990s, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer backpedaled from that assertion.

"I think right now it's somewhat murky," the press secretary said aboard Air Force One Tuesday, en route to a memorial service for the seven Columbia astronauts who died in last weekend's tragedy.

[RightWhale]

Bush's campaign was there, but he wasn't. His campaign spokesman said that the Bush admin would look into the issue of property rights in space. So far no decision has been published.

[demlosers]

Isn't there some silly U.N. treaty that nobody can own property in space? ie. the moon.

[RightWhale]

Isn't there some silly U.N. treaty that nobody can own property in space?

Yes. The 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty. The US can withdraw after notice to GB and Russia and the US, the 3 custodians.

[demlosers]

Yeah, I did a Google:

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The Outer Space Treaty provides the basic framework on international space law, including the following principles:

-the exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and shall be the province of all mankind;

-outer space shall be free for exploration and use by all States;

-outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means; Property Rights?

-States shall not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies or station them in outer space in any other manner;

-the Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used exclusively for peaceful purposes;

-astronauts shall be regarded as the envoys of mankind; States shall be responsible for national space activities whether carried out by governmental or non-governmental activities;

-States shall be liable for damage caused by their space objects; and

-States shall avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies.

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I'd like to see Pres. Bush withdrawal from this U.N. ball and chain treaty.

[RightWhale]

The weapons in space part is what sold this to the signatory nations. At the time Russia and America were the ones who had the capability of placing weapons in space, and those two signed mainly to stop the other from putting nukes in orbit. A treaty isn't so useful anymore to stop this since things in orbit are highly vulnerable. Now it is the property rights clause and associated verbiage that stymies private space development. The Treaty is past its usefulness and has to go.