President Obama signs bill recognizing asteroid resource property rights into law

[Cheese Sandwich]

Planetary Resources, the asteroid mining company, applauds President Obama who signed the U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act (H.R. 2262) into law. This law recognizes the right of U.S. citizens to own asteroid resources they obtain and encourages the commercial exploration and utilization of resources from asteroids.

"This is the single greatest recognition of property rights in history," said Eric Anderson, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman, Planetary Resources, Inc. "This legislation establishes the same supportive framework that created the great economies of history, and will encourage the sustained development of space."

Peter H. Diamandis, M.D., Co-Founder and Co-Chairman, Planetary Resources, Inc., said, "A hundred years from now, humanity will look at this period in time as the point in which we were able to establish a permanent foothold in space. In history, there has never been a more rapid rate progress than right now."

Peter Marquez, Vice President of Global Engagement, Planetary Resources, Inc., said, "Our nation's continued leadership and prosperity in space is enabled by this new law. Planetary Resources is grateful for the leadership shown by Congress in crafting this legislation and for President Obama signing H.R. 2262 into law. We applaud the members of Congress who have led this effort. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Lamar Smith (R-TX), Patty Murray (D-WA), Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), 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."

Senator Rubio (R-FL) said, "Throughout our entire economy, we need to eliminate unnecessary regulations that cost too much and make it harder for American innovators to create jobs. The reforms included here make it easier for our innovators to return Americans to suborbital space and will help the American space industry continue pushing further into space than ever before. I'm proud the final bill includes proposals I had previously introduced in the Senate, including one related to commercial recovery of space resources. This bill is an important win for Florida's space coast and the entire space exploration community."
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more: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/President_Obama_signs_bill_recognizing_asteroid_resource_property_rights_into_law_999.html

[Agnosticsherbet]

1. Ultimately, that will be good for the future of humanity. nt

[Cheese Sandwich]

2. I was thinking asteroids should be treated as a public resource

Instead of privatized and exploited for profit by mining companies.

[Agnosticsherbet]

3. Their resources will be critical to humanities future.

And there is no will on the level of the nation state to develop them. Also, they are critical to future human expansion off this rock, which is critical to the survival of our species.

[Cheese Sandwich]

4. Got it. Only corporate capitalism can save humanity by owning and mining asteroids for profit.

We're lucky that the capitalists goal of getting rich lines up perfectly with what we need so badly.

We need to privatize asteroids so the 1% can launch off to their moon colonies while the rest of us die a slow painful death from global warming/nuclear holocaust/bird flu epidemic.

[Agnosticsherbet]

5. of course not, but national governments do not appear inclined

To build the necessary infrastructure.

[Cheese Sandwich]

7. Maybe the mining companies are the government and the government is just like their press office

PS Happy Thanksgiving if you do that sort of thing.

[Agnosticsherbet]

8. happy thanksgiving. yes I do.

[TBF]

6. They sell air in NYC -

this shouldn't surprise us. I'm with you. It's disgusting that these resources aren't public as opposed to being "claimed" for private profit.

[LiberalElite]

10. They don't sell air - they sell "air rights" nt

[Cheese Sandwich]

11. They can't just give air away for free. People would take advantage and breath all the time.

No incentive to work when air is free.

[TBF]

12. Right?

[lastlib]

9. I wonder if this will conflict with the 1967 Treaty on Outer Space.....

...which provides, inter alia,:

>> 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;
>> 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;

Could be.......

[MisterP]

13. and if you find a genie's lamp you get to keep all the wishes!