Jakhu R.S., Pelton J.N., Nyampong Y.O.M. Space Mining and Its Regulation

Springer International Publishing, Switzerland, 2017. – 203 p. – ISBN10: 331939245XDisseminates all the relevant information about space natural resources missions from various countries and their legal aspects, both international and national
Uses evidence-based information from the space missions of all the key space-faring nations, with systematic description of missions and regulatory regimes followed by critical analysis
Written by leading international experts in space law
This book addresses the complex technical challenges presented by remote space mining in terms of robotics, remote power systems, space transport, IT and communications systems, and more. It also addresses the difficult oversight and regulatory issues that face states and non-state enterprises that would take on the perilous task of obtaining natural resources from the Moon and asteroids.
An increasing number of countries are becoming involved in space-related activities that were previously carried out primarily by the United States and the USSR (now the Russian Federation). How these regulatory endeavors might be handled in international treaties, standards, codes of conduct or other means have become a truly international political issue. And there is yet another issue.
In the past, space activities traditionally fell under the exclusive domain of government. But the last few years have seen the emergence of the private sector of "space entrepreneurs." This poses many challenges for the pre-existing governance regimes and state-based conceptions of international law. This book examines the adequacies and ambiguities in treaty provisions and national laws and in currently accepted practices involving the growing exploration and exploitation of space-based natural resources.
Topics
Aerospace Technology and Astronautics
Law of the Sea, Air and Outer Space
Geotechnical Engineering & Applied Earth Sciences
Extraterrestrial Physics, Space SciencesThe Importance of Natural Resources from Space and Key Challenges
Transportation Systems and Targeting Locations for Space Mining
Power and Robotic Systems for Space Mining Operations
U. S. Space Exploration and Planetary Resources
Private Sector Space Mining Initiatives and Policies in the United States
Space Enterprises in Russia and the Former Soviet Union
Activities in Europe, Canada and Other Western Countries
Asian Space Programs: Japan, China and India
The International Legal Framework
National Space Laws and the Exploitation of Natural Resources from Space
Conclusions and the Way Forward
Appendix: Excerpts of Key International Space Treaties and Relevant U. S. Law