Everyone who knows me is aware that when in the United States visiting my mother on the space coast, we never miss a Space X launch. Last February, while waiting on the beach to watch a rocket take off, I began wondering about the business ventures of companies who want to engage in mining and and other money making activities on asteroids, the moon, and Mars.
While some countries like the USA view the space frontier like the high seas, others like Russia take the view that the whole world owns space and profits should be divided on a shareholder type basis. This article, by a space lawyer is an interesting read about the space industry.
Which view do you think should become the legal standard? What government or court on earth should have jurisdiction? These are not just hypothetical questions. They are matters of corporate and international law with the potential to become major spacial-political issues in the years ahead.