The thread for space cadets!

[Thorgalaeg]

Destruction and devastation are generally negative things but can also be beautiful.

 

[Kaitzilla]

So I got an email from Planetary Resources on Tuesday.

Hi Kaitzilla,

This is history in the making.
We are happy to announce some exciting news from the Senate floor tonight -
The U. S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act of 2015 has passed the Senate.

We will be watching closely as this legislation makes it way from Congress to the White House and is signed into law by the President.

The U. S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act of 2015 recognizes rights of U.S. citizens to own asteroid resources they obtain as property, encourages commercial exploration, and allows companies to explore and recover resources from asteroids, free from harmful interference.

Read all the details here, and learn what this historic legislation means for Planetary Resources.

Best,

Chris Lewicki
President & Chief Asteroid Miner
Planetary Resources, Inc.

Copyright © 2015 Planetary Resources, Inc., All rights reserved.

The link goes to this: http://www.planetaryresources.com/2...ecognizing-asteroid-resource-property-rights/

Redmond, Wash. – November 10, 2015 — Planetary Resources, Inc., the asteroid mining company, praises the members of Congress who promoted historic legislation (H.R. 2262) that recognizes the right of U.S. citizens to own asteroid resources they obtain as property and encourages the commercial exploration and recovery of resources from asteroids, free from harmful interference.

This legislation creates a pro-growth environment for the development of the commercial space industry by encouraging private sector investment and ensuring a more stable and predictable regulatory regime. This law is important for the industry and is integral to protecting and supporting U.S. interests as the commercial space sector continues to expand.

“We are proud to have the support of Congress. Throughout history, governments have spurred growth in new frontiers by instituting sensible legislation. Long ago, The Homestead Act of 1862 advocated for the search for gold and timber, and today, H.R. 2262 fuels a new economy that will open many avenues for the continual growth and prosperity of humanity. This off-planet economy will forever change our lives for the better here on Earth,” said Chris Lewicki, President and Chief Engineer, Planetary Resources, Inc.

“Planetary Resources is grateful for the leadership shown by Congress in crafting this legislation and looks forward to President Obama signing the language into law. We applaud the members of Congress who have led this effort and actively sought stakeholder input to ensure a vibrant economy and prosperous way of life now and for centuries to come. Patty Murray (D-WA), Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Lamar Smith (R-TX), Bill Posey (R-FL) and Derek Kilmer (D-WA) have been unwavering in their support and leadership for the growth of the U.S. economy into the Solar System. Their forward-looking stance and active role in enabling the development of an economically and strategically valuable new marketplace will ensure our country’s continued leadership in space,” said Peter Marquez, Vice President of Global Engagement, Planetary Resources, Inc.
...

Some more info:
http://magazine.good.is/articles/hr-2262-space-mining-act-of-2015

The Space Law of 2015 (HR 2262) passed the House a few months ago on May 21st:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2262

And just recently H.R. 2262 passed the Senate on November 10th
http://www.piercepioneer.com/us-senate-passes-space-act-of-2015/48935


So once President Obama signs it, if you find a golden asteroid, you can keep your golden asteroid.

 

[Synobun]

That's quite the gimmick for today's world. I'm hoping that when this becomes an actual possibility the legislation will be upheld.

 

[Cutlass]

What causes the effect in the flame from the afterburners that it seems to have blue and white bands?

 

[Michkov]

Standing waves in the exhaust flow. They're called Shock Diamonds

 

[Zkribbler]

So once President Obama signs it, if you find a golden asteroid, you can keep your golden asteroid.

UN treaties establish that outer space is an "international commons" and "the province of all mankind." But I'm not surprised to see the GOP giving our birthright away to their financial backers...much like Congress did with the "public airways" a few decades ago.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Standing waves in the exhaust flow. They're called Shock Diamonds

This. Minute quantities of unburned fuel in the exhaust stream are being re-ignited by the pressure and temperature of the jet in the spots where shockwaves that are bouncing around in the flow are converging.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

Planes are cool things, arent they?

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Yeah they are pretty awesome.

 

[El_Machinae]

UN treaties establish that outer space is an "international commons" and "the province of all mankind." But I'm not surprised to see the GOP giving our birthright away to their financial backers...much like Congress did with the "public airways" a few decades ago.

I have some sympathy. The UN treaty was written thinking only governments would be able to exploit space. But we live in a world where it's going to be corporations that have the capacity to do so.

And without corporations having some reasonable expectation of profit, we'll never get our toes out there. I think the way it's going to have to shake out is "whatever you can go get, and get back here, is yours". But to prevent wholesale 'claiming' of asteroids, there will need to be a mechanism by which either a claim has a time limit (like old-fashioned homesteading did) or where you can only claim so much turf at once.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I agree with all of the above. The Outer Space Treaty just didn't cover this stuff. There was a later space agreement that did cover commercial activity but no space powers actually signed it, plus IIRC, it essentially tried to forbid all commercial exploitation of outer space, which is dumb.

I don't think this new American law will be a huge deal when companies actually start exploiting asteroids (and other countries are likely to pass similar laws when this comes to pass) but it will be tricky when people start colonizing other planets. No signatory country to the OST can claim territory, but can colonists who organize their own extraterrestrial nation-states do so? Probably they can but it'll be a mess legally I expect.

 

[Berzerker]

http://phys.org/news/2015-11-earth.html

it appears our water was here all along... That raises a problem though, how did water remain within a zone supposedly depleted of volatile elements? Does this mean there was no "snow line" in the solar system where the early solar wind pushed gases outward to a freezing point?

 

[uppi]

I don't think this new American law will be a huge deal when companies actually start exploiting asteroids (and other countries are likely to pass similar laws when this comes to pass) but it will be tricky when people start colonizing other planets. No signatory country to the OST can claim territory, but can colonists who organize their own extraterrestrial nation-states do so? Probably they can but it'll be a mess legally I expect.

Once the colonist have established themselves in such a way that they are thinking about forming a state, they would probably just stop caring about Earth's laws. Nations on earth could hardly prevent the extraterrestrial colonists from doing anything they like.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Once the colonist have established themselves in such a way that they are thinking about forming a state, they would probably just stop caring about Earth's laws. Nations on earth could hardly prevent the extraterrestrial colonists from doing anything they like.

I suspect there will be a long time between when colonists first arrive and when they become self sufficient (maybe centuries). During that crucial and drawn-out period, the laws of Earth very much matter. Even after that formal independence/self-sufficiency is achieved, if there is any interplanetary trade going on then it Earth's laws/nations would still matter as well.

 

[r16]

it's a mistake to assume that any solar system activity can be enduring without Earth . It's "good" scifi to assume someday Total Recall will happen and Mars declaring independence and stuff , but it's not real . And first movie was far better and Jessica Biel doesn't mind ...

those Americans who now claim SR-71 is a Mach 6 plane ; this post does not relate to you ... Even if ı like will not see American laws binding anywhere .

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I make no such assumptions - or at least I tend to assume it will be hundreds of years after the first colonists arrive on other planets before they are self sufficient.

Having said that though, just because a place isn't entirely self-sufficient doesn't mean that the place can't be independent.

______________________


I'll try and post a longer write up later but earlier this week, ULA announced they withdrew their bid to launch a future GPS satellite. This is notable because for years, ULA was the only company that could launch them (they have to be launched on US rockets and ULA was the only game in town). Then SpaceX came along and sued the government and went through a certification process that allowed them to bid on launches, making them the official competition. At the same time, Congress banned ULA from importing more Russian engines for their Atlas V launcher (that handles most of their launches) and ULA is now trying to pressure Congress into lifting the ban by purposefully withdrawing from the competition and claiming that Congress has made SpaceX a monopoly.

I hope someone sees the irony in that last sentence.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

Which brings the weapons in space topic. How would war be in an interplanetary scenery or in deep space? Lets launch the nukes ASAP, these independentists at the Oort cloud will know of mother Earth anger in five years!

 

[r16]

and of course the rant revolves around American supposition that they have the right to own space and stuff . Came crashing down in the 1960s .

 

[Gigaz]

Which brings the weapons in space topic. How would war be in an interplanetary scenery or in deep space? Lets launch the nukes ASAP, these independentists at the Oort cloud will know of mother Earth anger in five years!

Hard to tell. But it would be incredibly difficult to spot a spaceship from another if they are merely a lightsecond apart, especially when they don't want to be seen. You'd probably want to hide and then hit your target with anything that is fast and very destructive.

 

[r16]

when you are in command of an alien fleet bent on an invasion of Earth , it's really simple . You go and break Will Smith's leg , whoops you have already won .