Hacker News Reader

Comment by dheera | Hacker News Reader

How does the United States have the authority to set laws governing asteroids? What if I am not in the US, not a US citizen, and launch a spacecraft from somewhere other than the US and go ravage some asteroids for resources? Why is this not an international treaty jointly made by at least the space-capable nations?

View on HN

The US is only governing its own citizens and claiming the rule and responsibility to enforce its decisions over them. It's the same as if they were telling US citizens what they can own if they do activities in international waters. Your what-if answer depends on your country.

> The US is only governing its own citizens and claiming the rule and responsibility to enforce its decisions over them.

How I wish that were true.

Whoa OK well then by that line who said Earth creatures get to claim non-Earth objects?

Whomever has the biggest space weapons.

They don't, really. This is basically saying they won't take legal action against their citizen for owning or trying to obtain said materials.

This law doesn't give ownership of the asteroid, it gives ownership of the mined resources (emphasis mine):

> Any asteroid resources obtained in outer space are the property of the entity that obtained them, which shall be entitled to all property rights to them, consistent with applicable federal law and existing international obligations.

Those laws don't govern asteroids, they govern people. If you're not subject to US law, disregard it all you like.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com