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[GK86]

Link. Searched and didn't see a thread. Blow up the Moon if old.

NASA is now working with private companies to take the first steps in exploring the moon for valuable resources like helium 3 and rare earth metals.

Initial proposals are due tomorrow for the Lunar Cargo Transportation and Landing by Soft Touchdown program (CATALYST). One or more private companies will win a contract to build prospecting robots, the first step toward mining the moon.

The contract will be a "no funds exchanged" Space Agreement Act, which means the government will not be directly funding the effort, but will receive NASA support. Final proposals are due on March 17th, 2014. NASA has not said when it will announce the winner.

NASA works with private companies that service the International Space Station, and those partnerships have gone well. Faced with a skeleton budget, the agency is looking for innovative ways to cooperate with the private sector in order to continue research and exploration, as it did recently with a crowdsourcing campaign to improve its asteroid-finding algorithms. That campaign was launched with another private company, Planetary Resources, the billionaire-backed asteroid mining company.

According to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty of the United Nations, countries are prohibited from laying claim to the moon. The possibility of lunar mining and the emergence of private space companies has triggered a debate over lunar property rights, however.

"There’s a strong case for developing international law in this area because in 1967 it was not envisaged that anyone other than nation states would be able to explore the moon," Ian Crawford, a planetary science professor, told The Telegraph. "Clearly that is changing now and there is a case for developing the outer space treaty to include private organisations that may wish to explout the moon."

 

[Mercury Fred]

Gee, what could possibly go wrong?

 

[Rubenov]

Mass Effect closer to reality.

 

[WhereAreMahDragonz]

Oh boy. Here we go...

 

[Syf]

Get Bruce Willis up there.

 

[jchap]

This just motivated me to go play some Kerbal. Kethane base here I come.

 

[HalfBakedProphet]

The 12 foot tall subterranean moon creatures are not going to be pleased

 

[Glass Rebel]

I'd love to put some mines on the moon.

 

[Horsemama1956]

So the US think they own the fucking Moon now? The Fuck?

 

[OfWhiteSkinOnRedLeather]

So the US think they own the fucking Moon now? The Fuck?

We do.

 

[shadyspace]

So the US think they own the fucking Moon now? The Fuck?

Is your country's flag planted up there?

edit: ^^^ that

 

[Evolved1]

Gee, what could possibly go wrong?

Probably not much.

 

[Foffy]

We're going to fuck up another place? Color me surprised.

 

[ghostmind]

It begins... the only way humanity is going to progress in space, given our current reality, is through capitalism.

 

[BrokenEchelon]

Do it.

Just don't over-do it.

 

[vas_a_morir]

So the US think they own the fucking Moon now? The Fuck?

I didn't know we owned the moon! YESSSSSSSSSSS.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Ernst Blofeld.

 

[BrokenSymmetry]

Be careful, though, before signing a 3-year contract as a miner on the dark side of the moon.

 

[Freezasaurus]

This.... sounds like a terrible idea.

 

[FO-totality]

Yes, do it.

 

[Sword Familiar]

We do.

So if I put a flag on you that means I own you? Cool.

 

[D4Danger]

frack the moon!

 

[El Sloth]

So the US think they own the fucking Moon now? The Fuck?

"Moon"? That's New America, friend.

 

[IISANDERII]

 

[My Name Is Luke]

Aw yeah, time to drop out of school and become a space miner.

 

[Wafflecakes]

I am ok with this.

Though I am skeptical that anything on the moon is valuable enough to be worth the cost of returning it to earth.

 

[Acorn]

Still waiting on the giant space elevator.

 

[terrisus]

Finally - our cheese crisis is solved!

 

[OfWhiteSkinOnRedLeather]

So if I put a flag on you that means I own you? Cool.

Nope. Only applies to celestial bodies.

 

[Naked Snake]

Be careful, though, before signing a 3-year contract as a miner on the dark side of the moon.

I got that reference.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

This.... sounds like a terrible idea.

yeah but it is romantic as hell. Space miner? the thought alone is exciting.

 

[zychi]

If this funds more space exploration. I'm down. I just hope mining the moon doesn't fuck up our oceans or gravitational pull (i don't know enough about space that this could be right?)

 

[zychi]

So the US think they own the fucking Moon now? The Fuck?

No one has brought our flag back. So yeah, we kinda do.

 

[speculawyer]

Finally - our cheese crisis is solved!

 

[FO-totality]

If this funds more space exploration. I'm down. I just hope mining the moon doesn't fuck up our oceans or gravitational pull (i don't know enough about space that this could be right?)

I seriously doubt we'd ever mine enough material to significantly impact the gravitational forces.

 

[Deleted member 80556]

What the fuck. I thought it was prohibited to claim any extraterrestrial body as one country's.

 

[Glass Rebel]

space minors would probably be legal on earth

 

[Acorn]

No one has brought our flag back. So yeah, we kinda do.

This isn't the 17th Century. Russia tried this on underwater oil reserves under Arctic ice, they took a submarine and had a little flag planting machine.

Edit pic of said flag

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

space minors would probably be legal on earth

Not if the puritans claim the land first.

 

[Kimawolf]

Great now the moon will look like a piece of shit like the earth. how bout we DON'T mine the fucking moon! the giant floating rock that pretty much keeps our planet stable. Yeah lets not begin carving out mile deep caverns of rock out of it. Here's a thought NASA how bout you begin with some kind of observatory or space launch platform before letting fuckers mine the moon.

 

[terrisus]

What the fuck. I thought it was prohibited to claim any extraterrestrial body as one country's.

That almost seems like something it would have been good for the article and quote in the OP to mention...

According to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty of the United Nations, countries are prohibited from laying claim to the moon. The possibility of lunar mining and the emergence of private space companies has triggered a debate over lunar property rights, however.

"There’s a strong case for developing international law in this area because in 1967 it was not envisaged that anyone other than nation states would be able to explore the moon," Ian Crawford, a planetary science professor, told The Telegraph. "Clearly that is changing now and there is a case for developing the outer space treaty to include private organisations that may wish to explout the moon."

 

[freenudemacusers]

frack the moon!

will look no different than north dakota

 

[GK86]

So the US think they own the fucking Moon now? The Fuck?

Who is gonna stop us?

 

[NetMapel]

Mine that Helium-3 !

 

[soepje]

I like how they got upset about the possibility of the Jade Rabbit interfering with their research because moon dust might stir up when landing. But this is perfectly ok

 

[Professor Lich]

I just hope the don't wake up the man in the moon.

We all know what happens next...

 

[StalkerUKCG]

I am ok with this.

Though I am skeptical that anything on the moon is valuable enough to be worth the cost of returning it to earth.

Helium 3 can in theory be used as a second generation fuel for nuclear fusion.

 

[ThoughtsOfSpeaking]

Though I am skeptical that anything on the moon is valuable enough to be worth the cost (both financial and in terms of human resources) of returning it to earth.

FTFY.

The cost is too high atm. Maybe in 20 years time.

 

[eshwaaz]

 

[DOBERMAN INC]

First trillionaire within 5 years of this taking off.

 

[Elfforkusu]

So the US think they own the fucking Moon now? The Fuck?

This is so we can have space-local raw resources so we can go to Mars. Ends justify the means! Quit your whining and get aboard the Mars train!

I am ok with this.

Though I am skeptical that anything on the moon is valuable enough to be worth the cost of returning it to earth.

Actually not that hard to get it back to earth. Heat shield and a parachute is about it