News Trump signs executive order to support moon mining, tap asteroid resources (1 Viewer)

[Ahsoka]

In case ruining the earth isn't enough

The water ice and other lunar resources that will help the United States establish a long-term human presence on the moon are there for the taking, the White House believes.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order today (April 6) establishing U.S. policy on the exploitation of off-Earth resources. That policy stresses that the current regulatory regime — notably, the 1967 Outer Space Treaty — allows the use of such resources.

This view has long held sway in U.S. government circles. For example, the United States, like the other major spacefaring nations, has not signed the 1979 Moon Treaty, which stipulates that non-scientific use of space resources be governed by an international regulatory framework. And in 2015, Congress passed a law explicitly allowing American companies and citizens to use moon and asteroid resources.

The new executive order makes things even more official, stressing that the United States does not view space as a "global commons" and sees a clear path to off-Earth mining, without the need for further international treaty-level agreements.

The executive order, called "Encouraging International Support for the Recovery and Use of Space Resources," has been in the works for about a year, a senior administration official said during a teleconference with reporters today. The order was prompted, at least in part, by a desire to clarify the United States' position as it negotiates with international partners to help advance NASA's Artemis program for crewed lunar exploration, the official added. (Engagement with international partners remains important, the official said.)

Artemis aims to land two astronauts on the moon in 2024 and to establish a sustainable human presence on and around Earth's nearest neighbor by 2028. Lunar resources, especially the water ice thought to be plentiful on the permanently shadowed floors of polar craters, are key to Artemis' grand ambitions, NASA officials have said.

The moon is not the final destination for these ambitions, by the way. Artemis is designed to help NASA and its partners learn how to support astronauts in deep space for long stretches, lessons that will be key to putting boots on Mars, which NASA wants to do in the 2030s.

"As America prepares to return humans to the moon and journey on to Mars, this executive order establishes U.S. policy toward the recovery and use of space resources, such as water and certain minerals, in order to encourage the commercial development of space," Scott Pace, deputy assistant to the president and executive secretary of the U.S. National Space Council, said in a statement today.

President Trump has shown considerable interest in shaping U.S. space policy. In December 2017, for example, he signed Space Policy Directive-1, which laid the groundwork for the Artemis campaign. Two other directives have aimed to streamline commercial space regulation and the protocols for space traffic control. And Space Policy Directive-4, which the president signed in February 2019, called for the creation of the Space Force, the first new U.S. military branch since the Air Force was stood up in 1947.

Trump signs executive order to support moon mining, tap asteroid resources

The U.S. sees a clear path to the use of moon and asteroid resources.

www.space.com

 

[Jimimis]

Finally gonna find some aliens

 

[Ahsoka]

Finally gonna find some aliens

Im pretty sure aliens don't live in the metal resources on asteroids
Plus if we want alien it would make more sense to follow other countries and use space for scientific studies not profit

 

[Jimimis]

Im pretty sure aliens don't live in the metal resources on asteroids
Plus if we want alien it would make more sense to follow other countries and use space for scientific studies not profit

Mining on asteroids-> spend a lot of time in space -> greater chance of alien interaction -> profit?

 

[melancholia]

please leave the moon alone

 

[Ahsoka]

Mining on asteroids-> spend a lot of time in space -> greater chance of alien interaction -> profit?

The moon doesn't have aliens, if we want to find some we would need to explore beyond the solar system and focus on exploration not mining.

 

[Panda]

cause we don't have a virus to worry about or anything

 

[Jimimis]

The moon doesn't have aliens, if we want to find some we would need to explore beyond the solar system and focus on exploration not mining.

i wanna play AsteroidCraft

 

[AnotherKpopTrash]

This is actually good. There's no ecosystems on the moon to ruin, and potential He3 mining could make polluting energy sources on earth obsolete. NASA's budget is only 0.1% of the national budget so it's a fair investment.

 

[Ahsoka]

This is actually good. There's no ecosystems on the moon to ruin, and potential He3 mining could make polluting energy sources on earth obsolete. NASA's budget is only 0.1% of the national budget so it's a fair investment.

It does have its benefits but I still believe that space should be global territories, not territories used for the benefit of one country, and that for now scientific information that can be gained is more important than profit that can be gained.

 

[AnotherKpopTrash]

It does have its benefits but I still believe that space should be global territories, not territories used for the benefit of one country, and that for now scientific information that can be gained is more important than profit that can be gained.

Yeah but there's no way to really enforce those treaties. The only reason that the outer space and antarctic treaties exist is that there isn't an economically viable way to exploit resources there yet. As soon as there is, there isn't anything real stopping them for exploiting,

As far as the moon goes, we're far off from actually setting up mining colonies there. They won't be happening until long after Trump is out of office, who knows what policies presidents after him will apply and what international politics will be like by then. But I think something like this might boost research and engineering advances in space travel right now, something that hasn't been funded much by the gov't recently.

 

[Ahsoka]

Yeah but there's no way to really enforce those treaties. The only reason that the outer space and antarctic treaties exist is that there isn't an economically viable way to exploit resources there yet. As soon as there is, there isn't anything real stopping them for exploiting,

As far as the moon goes, we're far off from actually setting up mining colonies there. They won't be happening until long after Trump is out of office, who knows what policies presidents after him will apply and what international politics will be like by then. But I think something like this might boost research and engineering advances in space travel right now, something that hasn't been funded much by the gov't recently.

No there aren't yet but in the future there probably will be. And it depends on if he gets elected, the goal for him is to start sending objects into space around 2024. Space exploration should be funded more, I agree, but other countries are doing so and I think that if the US isn't that interested in exploration and discovery they should stick with what they've got and fix their problems on earth before trying to set things up in space.

 

[RandAlThor]

No there aren't yet but in the future there probably will be. And it depends on if he gets elected, the goal for him is to start sending objects into space around 2024. Space exploration should be funded more, I agree, but other countries are doing so and I think that if the US isn't that interested in exploration and discovery they should stick with what they've got and fix their problems on earth before trying to set things up in space.

Since they are the only one who have claimed to set boots on the ground of the moon . There is some justification to claim ii and set policy for its resources.
Now a casual reading of sci fi will show that the moon is an insanely valuable piece of "High Ground". That it will end up partitioned in some way is likely, unless no other countries move to colonize/ mine exc. Honestly i am surprised the Chinese are not pouring money into this.
Control of the moon could (except for the time it would take) make low orbit and some ground based weapon system instantly obsolete. As a M.A.D. resource it is unsurpassed.
Some thing as simple as throwing rocks from the moon to the earth would be interesting.
Reliable targeting of simple ballistics should be easy even with current computing power.

and they would not have to be all that big.
How big does a meteor have to be to make it to the ground?
Typically, though, a meteoroid would have to be about the size of a marble for a portion of it to reach the Earth's surface. Smaller particles burn up in the atmosphere about 50 to 75 miles (80 to 120 kilometers) above the Earth.

Say a rail gun like in the moon is a harsh mistress throwing smart car sized chunks.

 

[Ahsoka]

Since they are the only one who have claimed to set boots on the ground of the moon . There is some justification to claim ii and set policy for its resources.
Now a casual reading of sci fi will show that the moon is an insanely valuable piece of "High Ground". That it will end up partitioned in some way is likely, unless no other countries move to colonize/ mine exc. Honestly i am surprised the Chinese are not pouring money into this.
Control of the moon could (except for the time it would take) make low orbit and some ground based weapon system instantly obsolete. As a M.A.D. resource it is unsurpassed.
Some thing as simple as throwing rocks from the moon to the earth would be interesting.
Reliable targeting of simple ballistics should be easy even with current computing power.

and they would not have to be all that big.
How big does a meteor have to be to make it to the ground?
Typically, though, a meteoroid would have to be about the size of a marble for a portion of it to reach the Earth's surface. Smaller particles burn up in the atmosphere about 50 to 75 miles (80 to 120 kilometers) above the Earth.

Say a rail gun like in the moon is a harsh mistress throwing smart car sized chunks.

Currently space law agrees that it should not be used for military purposes, though that will likely change. By that point where it changes I'm sure that other countries will be able to also take part. And China is putting money into this, they sent an astronaut to space for the first time recently and from what I know they're going to continue improving. Even given the fact that it's been done before, it takes time and the US at the moment can not reach the moon either.

 

[RandAlThor]

Currently space law agrees that it should not be used for military purposes, though that will likely change. By that point where it changes I'm sure that other countries will be able to also take part. And China is putting money into this, they sent an astronaut to space for the first time recently and from what I know they're going to continue improving. Even given the fact that it's been done before, it takes time and the US at the moment can not reach the moon either.

That of course means nothing. They who weaponize first will have all the power. In this it is similar to nukes, but more powerful. The only way would be for all other nations to rubble anyone who attempted it.. The world can not even come together now, and force projection for most countries is a joke.

Hittler could not get across 12 miles of ocean. China can not get across the strait that may change at the rate they are building ships, but be assured they want that island back.

 

[dnb]

Someone should distract Trump by telling him we should aim to land on the Sun instead. Tell him we'll be safe because we'll land at night.

 

[AnotherKpopTrash]

No there aren't yet but in the future there probably will be. And it depends on if he gets elected, the goal for him is to start sending objects into space around 2024. Space exploration should be funded more, I agree, but other countries are doing so and I think that if the US isn't that interested in exploration and discovery they should stick with what they've got and fix their problems on earth before trying to set things up in space.

Yeah but I think space is definitely fosters advancement no matter what the intent is. It's a shame so much money that goes to earthbound issues are wasted so badly. Like lobbying, supporting big pharma, and tax cuts for big corporations.