Specifically, the act would protect “Asteroid and space resource rights”.
Advertisement
The United States Senate has passed the Space Act of 2015, which includes a range of legislative changes meant to boost the U.S. space industry. The usa government will continue to indemnify third parties for any damages resulting from commercial launches beyond a “maximum probable loss” amount that launch providers must insure against, until September 2025. U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., said “the commercial space industry in Washington state is leading the way in developing the cutting-edge technology necessary to support human space exploration”. It has already been extended twice, and was scheduled to expire at the end of March. The bill also extends the lifetime of the worldwide Space Station through 2024, ensuring viability of commercial projects on board the orbiting laboratory.
Provides an extension of the regulatory learning period through September 30, 2023 so that the commercial space sector can continue to mature and innovate before the Department of Transportation transitions to a regulatory approach. “Americans willing to invest in space mining operations need legal certainty that they can keep the fruits of their labor, and this bill provides that certainty”, he added. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) said in an October 28 speech on the Senate floor. For one, the bill renames the section of the Department of Commerce that would rule space business practices: The Office of Space Commercialization is now the Office of Space Commerce. However according to the bill, “A United States citizen engaged in commercial recovery of an asteroid resource or a space resource under this chapter shall be entitled to any asteroid resource or space resource obtained, including to possess, own, transport, use, and sell the asteroid resource or space resource obtained in accordance with applicable law, including the global obligations of the United States”.
It’s unclear if the hold had any effect on the final version of the bill passed by the Senate.
“The Homestead Act of 1862 advocated for the search for gold and timber, and today, H.R. 2262 fuels a new economy that will open many avenues for the continual growth and prosperity of humanity”, said Lewicki. “We are pleased to see the beginnings of legal clarity in the field of space resource utilization”, said Rick Tumlinson, chairman of Deep Space Industries, in a November 10 statement. “An “‘asteroid resource’ means a space resource found on or within a single asteroid”, while a “‘space resource’ means an abiotic resource in outer space”, and “includes water and minerals”.
Planetary Resources’ president and chief engineer, Chris Lewicki, said the legislation addresses ownership issues that have been the subject of speculation and debate for decades.
The White House has yet to comment on whether Obama will sign the bill.
Advertisement
The bill, which was introduced by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, passed the House back in May with overwhelming Republican support, enough to overcome the mere 26 percent of Democrats who voted in its favor.
