In the fourth episode of our podcast series, we look at the practical, legal and ethical questions about going to set up base on the moon – and mining its resources.
This are looking up when it comes to launching things into space from Australia. The rules on what can be launched are currently under review and open for comment.
India, China, the United States and Russia can now precisely target objects in space. But we currently lack appropriate rules and regulations to deal with space weapons.
Objects left on the Moon are not just abandoned rockets and rovers. There is a lot of historic and sentimental memorabilia. Some of it hints at a mission that the first Moonwalkers almost forgot.
In the space beyond Earth’s atmosphere, countries are focusing on nationalist pursuits and ignoring the consequences for the rest of humanity. How can we keep the peace and build a sustainable future?
At the end of the day, the problem is that no-one on Earth wants nuclear waste stored near them, and it’s not safe or cost-effective to blast it into space.
No country can lay claim to sovereignty over a planet, moon or rocky body. But in the absence of clear laws regulating mining in space, it’s a case of first in, best dressed for resource extraction.
China’s space station Tiangong-1 is about to crash back to Earth any day now. It’s out of control too so no one really knows where it will land. So what if it hits you or your house?
Who is responsible for space debris? What laws should apply to humans living on another planet? Who has rights to mine asteroids? The Outer Space Treaty needs an update to address such questions.
The rules on armed conflict on Earth are a major source of restraint on military operations. But the rules on the use of weapons in outer space are far from clear. We need to change that.