Space
The Legal Void at the Heart of the Asteroid Mining Gold Rush
As asteroid mining companies prepare to move from concept to operations, a University of Waikato researcher warns that the legal framework governing space resource extraction is dangerously inadequate. A new paper proposes a framework balancing exploitation and environmental protection of the space commons.
Key Takeaways
- No coherent international legal framework governs asteroid mining claims or disputes
- New paper in Acta Astronautica proposes classification system and environmental impact assessments
- US and Luxembourg have passed laws allowing resource ownership but not environmental protection
- Multiple companies are approaching commercial asteroid extraction capability
- Researcher warns the regulatory window is closing as de facto property rights form
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