The darkest spots on the moon’s surface haven’t seen light in billions of years.Temperatures can drop sharply inside these lightless craters minus 391 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s one of the most extreme places in our solar system, but that’s what NASA is aiming for.
Because there is water there.
Now armed with a powerful new mega rocket, the US Space Agency is preparing to establish a lunar base, a venture that will allow NASA to travel even deeper into space.Harvest this ice, the space agency says(opens in new window), essential for making drinking water, oxygen and rocket fuel. As early as 2025, astronauts could land near an intriguing crater at the shadowed South Pole of the Moon. They will have their eyes on the prize. NASA’s rover(opens in new window).
However, the United States and other countries with lunar ambitions cannot legally claim territory or sovereignty over the moon. During the first space race of the 1960s, many of the world’s nations signed the Outer Space Treaty.(opens in new window), prohibiting any country from owning any part of the universe. But harvesting extraterrestrial resources is becoming a different story. Especially in the heat of the 21st century space race, it is inevitable that natural wealth will be mined from other worlds.(opens in new window) Up. Who is allowed to take what and where in the new space frontier?
Joanne Gabrynowicz, professor emeritus and former director of the National Center for Remote Sensing, Aviation and Space Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law, spoke to Mashable about lunar resource extraction. “There is currently no definite month specific Rules. “
Why it’s still hard to land a spacecraft on the moon
But it should be soon. “It’s true. We’re in the space race,” he recently told Politico, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.(opens in new window), while talking about China’s rapidly advancing technological space capabilities. And the race to the moon again.
An artist’s conception of a lunar base complete with solar panels, farming pods and habitats.
Credit: ESA / P. Carril
the need to harvest ice
The Outer Space Treaty prohibits ownership of the moon. However, it allows nations to explore it freely (“…outer space must be free for exploration and use by all nations;”). Tsukasa certainly used the moon and relied on it.they used it to dump the poop(opens in new window)drive around, stick tubes in the dirt, take samples, play golf(opens in new window)plant flag(opens in new window)leave a souvenir(opens in new window)run the experiment(opens in new window)from.
But these astronauts stayed on the moon for a few days at most. Staying for weeks or longer while supporting a large number of people and a wide variety of scientific activities requires the use of lunar water at some point. It is inherent in long-term exploration of another world. One cubic meter of water weighs well over one ton. This is a big problem of “transportation”. This leaves explorers dependent on the water resources of their destination (in addition to drinking water recycled from sweat and urine, like astronauts on board the space station).
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Astronaut artist concept working on the moon.
Credit: NASA
In that case, NASA astronauts would harvest lunar ice for their exploration needs, even before there were clear laws about what resources the nation could extract from the moon. There is a possibility.Space agency expects lunar ice to be ‘fuel’ for lunar bases(opens in new window)NASA created and signed the Artemis Accords(opens in new window) — Broad, non-binding principles for peaceful cooperation in outer space, including a brief section on “Space Resources”. As of January 2023, 23 countries have signed(opens in new window)“The signatories note that the utilization of space resources can benefit mankind by providing important support for safe and sustainable operations,” the hopeful document said. is written.
But what if a private company, not a state, discovers a large amount of ice at the South Pole of the Moon and excavates it? Can they claim the ice? the space treaty is silent about the private sector. This is where many of the issues surrounding lunar resources arise.
Who can own the Moon’s resources?
We are starting to get a clearer picture of who can claim and sell the lunar resources.
Four countries – the United States, Luxembourg (a wealthy country with many space companies), Japan and the United Arab Emirates – have laws that allow private companies to extract resources in outer space. Frans von der Dunk, a professor of space law at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, explains that while the approaches aren’t exactly the same, the main interpretations are similar to international law that governs the high seas.
On Earth, no single country can occupy or claim most of the oceans (the “high seas”). Fishing vessels can freely navigate these international waters and catch rich fish and tentacle resources. However, you must obtain a license in your home country and comply with relevant international laws such as pollution and species protection. “If the fish gets into the fishermen’s nets, they can sell it,” von der Dunk told Mashable. can not. It would be a claim to territorial sovereignty.
“There are no clear rules at this time.”
How would this regime work on the Moon? No nation could point to a crater and claim the ice within it. But Companies can travel to craters, set up shops, and extract resources. And perhaps these individual miners can sell ice to buyers. And those buyers are likely to be well-funded space agencies with ambitions to visit Mars and possibly metal-rich asteroids.
On this map, dark blue indicates international waters, or “high seas.”
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
NASA’s 13 potential landing sites for Artemis III to return astronauts to the moon.
Credit: NASA
But the problem persists. For there is no “Law of the Moon” to govern the looming exploitation of largely unrestrained natural bodies. “We need to build in more specific details,” emphasized von der Dunk. (Beyond the Artemis Accords, the United Nations has its own group(opens in new window) It’s trying to develop potential rules for extracting space resources.) Yes, humans will mine the moon. Of course, the moon is a world of great scientific conspiracy, holding clues to how our solar system and planets formed. Lack of supervision portends excessive or unnecessary damage.
“This would, in theory, allow the Moon to have uncoordinated resource extraction,” Gabrinowitz said. “This could put the Moon at a disadvantage.”
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Lunar laws may even limit territorial clashes or promote lunar harmony. Human history has been dominated by conflicts over resources. Be prepared for this potential conflict on the moon. For example, the NASA-led Artemis Accords could be the predecessor to the Law of the Moon, allowing the establishment of “safe zones”, areas where entities can operate without “harmful interference”. It’s easy to imagine why space agencies wouldn’t want mining companies to probe for ice at their worksites. The last thing anyone wants to do in the moon’s dark South Pole is misunderstandings among people hanging out in awkward moonsuits, which can lead to serious injuries. not. How big can the safe zone be? How long can it exist? Who sets up your safe zone? What happens if someone recklessly enters your safe zone?
As emphasized by space law experts Mashable spoke to, consistent lunar laws help avoid chaotic and on-the-fly precedents for how the moon is harvested. One country could claim an indefinite term claim to all ice within the coveted crater under the guise of scientific exploration. A Wild West-style looting of lunar lands could follow.
A new frontier is opening. It’s barren and inhospitable, a likely location for a space travel center and gas station, open to endless possibilities.
