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Robert Bigelow sets sights on lunar mining


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The Bigelow Aerospace Inc. chief is calling for the rights to conduct mining operations on the moon.

Private space companies may soon be paving the way towards a whole new industry of space-based mining operations, that is according to Robert Bigelow who has called on the US government to provide lunar mining rights to companies that help to develop new technologies for NASA.

Read More: http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/257811/robert-bigelow-sets-sights-on-lunar-mining

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I honestly think the moon should be left alone. It is a vital part of our ecosystem. And should not be owned by anyone but everyone.

Mining and/or using it as a launchpad for long range space missions would have no effect on its important influence on our ecosystem. It is inevitable that the moon be occupied by mankind and there does need t be some kind of governing body overseeing that growth. The UN, while semingly a logical choice, is so irredeemably corrupt that putting it in charge would cripple any efforts tpo exploit the moon's assets. It would have to be a consortium of spacefaring nations.

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Given the cost involved, they better hope they find diamonds, gold and platinum to get a return on their investment.

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Given the cost involved, they better hope they find diamonds, gold and platinum to get a return on their investment.

Concur but hey, they are in business and are assuming the cost and the risks, not the taxpayers so over to them. Not sure what their goal is what the attraction is burt apparently there is something up there that Bigelow believes is worth the capital and risk. Helium 3? I know the moon has alot of it but from what I have read it isn't exactly easy to recover.

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"When interstellar travel takes off it will be the corporations that own everything. The Microsoft Galaxy, The IBM StellerSphere, Planet Starbucks..."

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He is quite concerned about the Chinese is Mr Bigelow. I see an interview with him where he was talking about the Chinese claiming ownership of the moon within the next 5 - 10 yrs. It sounded unlikely, but on second thoughts it probably isn't.....he does strike me as someone who obviously he doesn't say much, but it's worth listening when he does.

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A Chinese claim on the moon would be in character, but I don't think would succeed.

In practical terms it probably wouldn't amount to a great deal in the short term, but as a psychological exercise it would be massive for them, and one huge kick in the teeth for everyone else.

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In practical terms it probably wouldn't amount to a great deal in the short term, but as a psychological exercise it would be massive for them, and one huge kick in the teeth for everyone else.

As they are a signatory of the UN Outer Space treaty they would be breaking international law. No nation may lay claim to any celestial body.

Companies and individuals lay claim to mining rights is a bit of a grey area.

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As they are a signatory of the UN Outer Space treaty they would be breaking international law. No nation may lay claim to any celestial body.

Companies and individuals lay claim to mining rights is a bit of a grey area.

Now that is interesting. I wonder if they signed on when it seemed the Americans were going to have a monopoly in space. Of course America lost interest, so now they may be having second thoughts.
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Good I like this idea, it may open the way to develop cheaper technology to get us to outer space.

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As they are a signatory of the UN Outer Space treaty they would be breaking international law. No nation may lay claim to any celestial body.

Companies and individuals lay claim to mining rights is a bit of a grey area.

However, a years notice in writing and you are out of that treaty. If they have a successful operation for getting to the moon at that point, a year will not be long enough for any other nation to get there and stop the claim, which was Bigelows point, and concern.

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Now that is interesting. I wonder if they signed on when it seemed the Americans were going to have a monopoly in space. Of course America lost interest, so now they may be having second thoughts.

Sorry but it NEVER seemed like the Americans were going to have a monopoly in space. There used to be this national called the Soviet Union that had a pretty impressive space programme.

The Treaty was signed in 1967 at the height of the space race. At that time only the USSR, USA and France had launched satellites, however Japan, China and the UK were all working towards their first launches (Japan and China both achieved this in 1970 the UK one year later).

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However, a years notice in writing and you are out of that treaty. If they have a successful operation for getting to the moon at that point, a year will not be long enough for any other nation to get there and stop the claim, which was Bigelows point, and concern.

Given that there are 103 nations which have signed that treaty exactly who are the Chinese going to make their claim too?

The treaty is the basis of recognised space law. Even if China left the treaty they would still be in breach of international law if they tried to claim the moon.

This talk of China making claims on the moon is a smokescreen, an excuse for entrepreneurs like Bigelow to make claims of their own. Bigelow wants a slice of the moon so what better excuse than claiming he's doing it to stop the commies doing it first.

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I bet you will loose more than you will make. Pathetic idea

Really, pathetic?

I'm guessing you know little of Bigelow's plans and nothing much about the basics of spaceflight.

Bigelow is in the space station business. He intends to operate space hotels in Earth orbit.

When you start constructing very large objects in Earth orbit one of the biggest expenses is launching the raw materials. The moon, having only one sixth the gravity of Earth is much easier to launch from. There comes a point where the reduction in launch costs from the lunar surface outweighs the greater expense of lunar mining. At that point lunar mining makes economic sense.

Far from being pathetic, Bigelow actually knows what he is talking about.

Edited by Waspie_Dwarf
typo.
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Given that there are 103 nations which have signed that treaty exactly who are the Chinese going to make their claim too?

The treaty is the basis of recognised space law. Even if China left the treaty they would still be in breach of international law if they tried to claim the moon.

This talk of China making claims on the moon is a smokescreen, an excuse for entrepreneurs like Bigelow to make claims of their own. Bigelow wants a slice of the moon so what better excuse than claiming he's doing it to stop the commies doing it first.

He doesn't need to make a claim in order to do what he wants, his point is that if someone else does then nobody will be doing anything on the moon. He is dismayed that one nation his pushing full steam ahead with the moon in sight, with everyone else isn't - he see's that as potentially dangerous, and was pointing out that in actual fact an Outer Space Treaty is pretty worthless in it's current state when you can legally opt out within a year.

Some might say he's paranoid, or using a business smokescreen to achieve his own goals - I say he probably has a good handle on what he's talking about, and is worth listening too.

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Sorry but it NEVER seemed like the Americans were going to have a monopoly in space. There used to be this national called the Soviet Union that had a pretty impressive space programme.

The Treaty was signed in 1967 at the height of the space race. At that time only the USSR, USA and France had launched satellites, however Japan, China and the UK were all working towards their first launches (Japan and China both achieved this in 1970 the UK one year later).

I don't think the Soviet program ever presented a threat to the US, even in Sputnik days, and I think the leadership, if they were honest with themselves, fully understood this. Not that I'm not glad the Russians built the fire under the Americans. I think the Chinese in the know would have understood this too.

Ten years later the situation was obvious to everyone. Then the Americans lost interest.

Now that it comes out that there is a year's withdrawal notice, the treaty is typical of so much from the UN -- good intentions without meaningful teeth.

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Now that it comes out that there is a year's withdrawal notice, the treaty is typical of so much from the UN -- good intentions without meaningful teeth.

Worth pointing out that as of 2013, the Moon Treaty has only been ratified by 15 countries - all the main players in Space Exploration (like UK, US, China, India, Russia,) are missing from that list.

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Well yes I am pointing out the absolute obvious here, if any one country wanted to claim the rights, there is no one ON the moon to object, so any objecting to be done, will be done here on Earth.

There are no people on the moon to try and wipe out to take their land from them, and we all know that is what man has done over the centuries, so if there are objections, which no doubt there will be if there is money to be made from it...and their is, big big money, then I personally have no faith in man not starting their wars for rights claim right here on Earth...men have started wars here over far smaller things.

No one should have a sole claim or even contemplate it, it is far too dangerous.

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Answering a question with a question is not helpful Frank. .

That was not a "question," but a bit of rhetoric to point out that the fact that there is nothing preventing people from making claims either.
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