House Science Committee Approves Changes To Space Law

schwit1 writes: In a series of party line votes, the House Science Committee has approved a number of changes to the laws that govern the private commercial space industry. Almost all of the changes were advocated by the industry itself, so in general they move to ease the regulatory and liability burdens that have been hampering the industry since the 2004 revisions to space law. While it is very unlikely commercial space can ever get free of strong federal regulation, these changes indicate that they can eventually get some of the worst regulations eased.

Comments

Treaty Violations

[Anonymous Coward]

It would seem that the US is on a path of violating every international treaty it has ever made.

Lord of the Flies continues...

Re:Treaty Violations

[tshawkins]

Also by assigning property rights to off planet resources, its making a pretty big attempt to extend its soverign juristiction. Who gave the US ownership of the universe.....

Re:Treaty Violations

[ChromeAeonium]

This isn't about the US owning anything; it is about private ownership of something. If a company does make it into space, say to some asteroid or something, and you're telling them what they can and can't do while they're there (like claim mineral rights and mine it), who is trying to own the universe then? The way I see it, if someone can make space exploration profitable, that's great! If you're going to piss & moan about someone making property claims & making money while advancing humanity then I think you're the one with the problem. I don't care how we get to space, as long as it happens. Squabbling over money and ownership does not advance humanity; getting out there does. If this whole thing ever becomes an actual issue, then it means something wonderful is happening.

Re:Treaty Violations

[tshawkins]

Not in space they dont, in fact just about everybody other than the US have stable launch capability, russia, china, india, and europe.

Re:Treaty Violations

[Anonymous Coward]

In order to grant rights to a private company, the state has to have sovereign right over the item that has the grant applied to it. If a US company finds a big rock full of palladium in the asteroids and stakes out a claim , applies to the US for a grant of that claim. There is nothing to stop a European, Russian, Chinese or Asian company doing the same thing on the same rock and completely ignore the US grant of the claim, as it has no sovereignty there.

Ohhhhhh and good luck getting one of those 11 aircraft carriers up there to enforce the claim.

Re:Veto it

[garyisabusyguy]

FTA:
a decade-long extension of the moratorium on regulating commercial human spaceflight
a nine-year extension of industry-government cost sharing for damages caused by launch accidents
and an act that would give companies property rights to materials they mine from asteroids.

So, the industry would like to have low regulations, GOVERNMENT PROTECTION from liabilities and sole ownership of whatever they find

Hey, I am fine with industry standing on its own and living or dying by the free market, but since when was letting the government own your liabilities part of the free market vision?

This reeks of cronyism and people simply working to maximize their profits at the cost of the rest of us.
If you wanna mine an asteroid, then you have to pay for it if you drop it on my city
No corporate welfare for you

And cuts funding for NASA to research earth system

[sp0rk173]

While at the same time, the house science committee cuts funding for NASA to continue important space-based biogeochemical research of earth systems:

http://news.sciencemag.org/funding/2015/04/controversy-awaits-house-republicans-roll-out-long-awaited-bill-revamp-u-s-research

WHAT A GOOD THING.

Re:Veto it

[HangingChad]

Hey, I am fine with industry standing on its own and living or dying by the free market, but since when was letting the government own your liabilities part of the free market vision?

They're just asking for the same deal the insurance industry, defense industry, agriculture, pharmaceutical and banking industries already enjoy. Who paid the tab for the last recession? That would be the government, as in we the people. Who paid to rebuild New Orleans after Katrina or Florida after the last set of hurricanes? It was partly the insurance industry, which threatened to claim bankruptcy if the government didn't pick up most of the tab. Who pays for bad weather that wipes out crops? And who pays when someone loses their job and can't make their mortgage payment? Who paid for broadband infrastructure and then gave it away to telecos to sell at a profit which then started to whine like bitches when it came time for upgrades?

I actually agree that the government shouldn't be on the hook for any of that, at least not indefinitely. The government might have to be the buck of last resort for the private space industry until the risks are understood and private insurance has a structure for coverage. But then there's an accident and the insurance companies threaten to file bankruptcy if they have to shoulder the full burden of the claim and most re-insurers are located offshore, so they're not worried about paying up to the limit of coverage and saying, C' ya!

If the government doesn't shoulder the burden of liability then the private space industry never gets off the ground. On the other hand, we the people deserve some payback if we're providing insurance.

Re:Free Market Republicans at their Finest

[CanHasDIY]

This. Say what you will of Democrats, at least they run on the policies they will implement.

Yea, that's why we have single-payer healthcare, no troops in the ME, and Bush's surveillance machine has been dismantled, right? All promises made by the current Democrat during his campaign.