Moon for sale? US government says Bigelow Aerospace could set up lunar base with land rights
The United States government has taken a tentative step towards allowing commercial development of the moon by private companies.
In a letter to Bigelow Aerospace, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the company could set up one of its proposed inflatable habitats on the moon, and expect to have exclusive rights to that territory - as well as related areas that might be tapped for mining, exploration and other
However, the letter did note that "the national regulatory framework, in its present form, is ill-equipped to enable the US government to fulfill its obligations" under the 1967 United Nations Outer Space treaty, which, in part, governs activities on the moon.
The UN treaty requires countries to authorise and supervise activities of non-government entities that are operating in space, including the moon. It also bans nuclear weapons in space, prohibits national claims to celestial bodies and stipulates that space exploration and development should benefit all countries.
The FAA letter's author George Nield said: "We didn't give [Bigelow Aerospace] a licence to land on the moon. We're talking about a payload review that would potentially be part of a future launch license request. But it served a purpose of documenting a serious proposal for a US company to engage in this activity that has high-level policy implications."
read on: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/moon-sale-us-government-says-bigelow-aerospace-could-set-lunar-base-land-rights-1486458
Love Always
mudra
U.S. Begins Selling Commercial Land On The Moon
The United States government has taken a tentative step towards allowing commercial development of the moon by private companies.
In a letter to Bigelow Aerospace, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the company could set up one of its proposed inflatable habitats on the moon, and expect to have exclusive rights to that territory - as well as related areas that might be tapped for mining, exploration and other
However, the letter did note that "the national regulatory framework, in its present form, is ill-equipped to enable the US government to fulfill its obligations" under the 1967 United Nations Outer Space treaty, which, in part, governs activities on the moon.
The UN treaty requires countries to authorise and supervise activities of non-government entities that are operating in space, including the moon. It also bans nuclear weapons in space, prohibits national claims to celestial bodies and stipulates that space exploration and development should benefit all countries.
The FAA letter's author George Nield said: "We didn't give [Bigelow Aerospace] a licence to land on the moon. We're talking about a payload review that would potentially be part of a future launch license request. But it served a purpose of documenting a serious proposal for a US company to engage in this activity that has high-level policy implications."
read on: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/moon-sale-us-government-says-bigelow-aerospace-could-set-lunar-base-land-rights-1486458
Love Always
mudra
U.S. Begins Selling Commercial Land On The Moon