Roid Rage Can We Sue Them First?
Oct 30, 2025
Dive into the exciting legal landscape of asteroid mining with a space lawyer breaking down the 2015 U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act. Discover how the Outer Space Treaty influences resource use and safety expectations for competing missions. Explore the challenges of establishing exclusion zones and the implications of being a first mover in this uncharted territory. Tune in for speculation on potential lawsuits and the need for regulatory clarity as nations rush to assert their claims in space.
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U.S. Law Enables Resource Ownership
- The U.S. 2015 Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act grants U.S. citizens rights to possess, use, and sell space resources they recover.
- Those rights must still comply with international obligations like the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and
Reasonable Safety Zones Matter
- Reasonableness governs exclusion zones and interference around landing sites; there's no fixed perimeter but precedent exists from lunar missions.
- Practical safety zones and mutual respect will determine who can operate near the same small body.
Prepare For Payload And Launch Reviews
- Prepare for domestic regulatory reviews focused on launch and payload details, not just theoretical property questions.
- Disclose payload intent, return profile, and safety controls to agencies like the FAA and Office of Space Commerce early.