Quick reference to US legal framework regarding space resources

                               Summary of Space Resource Exploration and Utilization Act of 2015

                                    Link to: "Summary: H.R.1508 — 114th Congress (2015-2016)"


                                                        For an in-depth analysis of the subject
                                              there is a transcript of Brian J. Egan's presentation
                                    at the "Galloway Symposium on Critical Issues in Space Law"
                                                     in Washington, DC on 7th December 2016.

                                           Link to: The Next Fifty Years of the Outer Space Treaty

                                                               

The more the merrier: Japan ready to join in?

                                                    Memorandum of understanding
                                   between Private Lunar Exploration Company "ispace"
                                      and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)
                                 seems to show that Japan is also about to climb aboard
                                                   the space resources bandwagon.

                                   Link to: "ispace press release of 16th December 2016"

"PolyCam, MapCam and SamCam"

                                           

                                                      Taking a closer look at an asteroid

                               obviously requires quite a bit more than a good magnifying glass!

                        Link to: NASA article on the OSIRIS-REx Camera Suite (December update)

Space Harvesting Essentials outlined by "THE GUARDIAN"

                                            Dan Tynan provides an end-of-year recap
                                     of some of the main business projects and visions
                                               related to harvesting space resources.

            Link to: Galactic gold rush: the tech companies aiming to make space mining a reality

Why send Audi to the moon?

                                             COLLECTSPACE.COM  answers this question
                                             in Robert Z. Pearlman's  November 29th article
                                           on PT Scientists' (Part-Time Scientists) endeavour
                                               to win the $30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE.

            Link to: Part Time Scientists reserves rocket to land Audi moon rovers at Apollo 17 site

DEEP SPACE INDUSTRIES in a nutshell

                         
                               Bruce Dorminey concisely presents DEEP SPACE INDUSTRIES
                                            in one of his November 2016 articles in FORBES.

                                          Link to: Bruce Dorminey's article on DSI in FORBES


                                       Another highly informative article on DSI's business plan
                                   was written by Sarah Scoles for WIRED.COM  and is entitled:

                                 How to Succeed in the Asteroid Business Without Really Mining

CYGNUS: A Multipurpose Space Freighter

                                      "SUPPLY CRAFT, DUSTCART and SCIENCE LAB"
                                                                               or:
                                  How to make the most of what cannot be recycled in space.


                                                 Link to: International Space Station page

                                                 Link to: Orbital ATK

                                                 Link to: AES Spacecraft Fire Safety Demonstration (Saffire)

"Many a dog's favourite satellite"

(Picture by JR. CHINREST)

A tangible example of the ups and downs of space exploration?

                       OR: The wrong sort of "space harvesting", as experienced in Myanmar
                                                 (and fortunately "not in Mybackyard")

                            Link to: BBC NEWS " ... Mystery object lands at jade mine."


                                           Obviously, a lot more work needs to be done
                                      on reducing, controlling and removing "space junk"!

                             Link to: The European Space Agency's page on Space Debris

"The Space Nation": Room for another dream?

                                                   " Welcome to ASGARDIA ! "

"... Asgardia's legal envelope includes the creation of a new legal platform for the exploration of near-Earth and deep space. ‘Universal space law’ and ‘astropolitics’ have to replace international space law and geopolitics.   ...

  ... And of course we are going to make use of crowd funding and sourcing, and private donations. And we welcome cooperation with new partners and investors. ... "

                           (Quoted from Asgardia Concept page - as found on 12 Nov. 2016)


                      Link to: Concept "Asgardia - the Space Nation" by Dr. Igor Ashurbeyli

Space Poker: Luxembourg's New Trump Card

                               
                                A new draft law on the exploration and use of space resources
                    for commercial purposes has been formally presented to the international press.

                                 Luxembourg will thus be the second country in the world
                                      and the first in Europe to set out a legal framework
                                      "ensuring that private operators working in space
                    can be confident about their rights to the resources they extract in outer space".


Link to: Luxembourg’s New Space Law Guarantees Private Companies the Right to Resources Harvested in Outer Space in Accordance with International Law

Link to: ECSL European Centre for Space Law


                                     
               

Rocket science / space for business: ULA, SpaceX and Blue Origin

           

                                                     Fortune (magazine) reporting 

                                            on space flights no longer costing a fortune.

                               Link to: "The Great Rocket Race" by Clay Dillow in FORTUNE

Agreement finalized between Planetary Resources, Inc. and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

               
                                   A small step by a small country in the right direction ?

"Planetary Resources and the Government of Luxembourg finalize €25 Million investment and cooperation agreement with first commercial asteroid prospecting mission to launch by 2020." 

                                        Link to full article on planetaryresources.com website
                     

"Moon matters" : A loophole in the Outer Space Treaty?

                                                             Is it true that

                                    shrewd interpretations of the Outer Space Treaty

                                               could be used as part of a strategy

                                                            to monopolise

                                                      certain space resources

                                                for an unspecified period of time?

                      Link to: Harvard Gazette interview with astrophysicist Martin Elvis
           
      Link to: Cornell University Library, " The Peaks of Eternal Light: a Near-term Property Issue..."




                                 Whatever the answer, the prime challenge remains, of course,
                                                      that of first of all "getting there".

                                                    Link to: Moon Express Press Kit

                        Link to: "China to send Chang’e-4 to south pole of moon’s far-side "

                   Link to: PBS NEWSHOUR "China wants to mine the moon for ‘space gold’ "

                                             Link to: ESA's Interactive Guide to the Moon


                   Link to: Voice of America interview (and video) with Paul Spudis (14 Oct. 2016)

"NASA, ESA, XTRONAUTS and ASTEROIDS"

                           

(Picture by JR. CHINREST)

                              A challenge, a gamble and a game.

                                           Link to: OSIRIS-REx
                                           Link to: NASA PRESS KIT/ August 2016

                                           Link to: "AIM" - ESA's Asteroid Impact Mission

                                           Link to: Xtronaut -The Game of Solar System Exploration

"LUSA"?

Luxembourg (998 sq. mi. / 2 586 sq. km)

could have its own space agency in the near future.

An abbreviation for "Luxembourg Space Agency"

has already been unofficially suggested,

but "LUSA" might somehow not sound particularly convincing 

when read out aloud in English

and pronounced the Luxembourg way

(unless it is meant to serve as an extra incentive to become a winner).

                            Link to: Official Information on Luxembourg and Space

                            Link to: GLAE «Groupement Luxembourgeois de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace»                
                         

"Getting Ready"

(Picture by JR. CHINREST)

Link to: Official Information on Luxembourg and Space Resources 

Link to: New space law to provide framework for space resource utilization.

Link to: Tim Worstall in FORBES, "The Economic Problem With Luxembourg's Space Mining Law"

 Link to: Christopher Barnatt on "Resources from Space"