Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Credit: NASA

U.S. President Donald J. Trump is encouraging international support for the recovery and use of space resources, signing an Executive Order that directs the Secretary of State to lead a U.S. Government effort to develop joint statements, bilateral agreements, and multilateral instruments with like-minded foreign states to “enable safe and sustainable operations for the commercial recovery and use of space resources, and to object to any attempt to treat the 1979 Moon Agreement as expressing customary international law.”

Moon base design.
Credit: ESA/P. Carril

Nevertheless, in seeking international support, the United States may draw on legal precedents and examples from other domains to promote the recovery and use of space resources.

According to a White House fact sheet, “American industry and the industries of like-minded countries will benefit from the establishment of stable international practices by which private citizens, companies and the economy will benefit from expanding the economic sphere of human activity beyond the Earth.”

Credit: NASA

Moon agreement

The April 6 Executive Order spotlights the “The Moon Agreement”:

“The United States is not a party to the Moon Agreement. Further, the United States does not consider the Moon Agreement to be an effective or necessary instrument to guide nation states regarding the promotion of commercial participation in the long-term exploration, scientific discovery, and use of the Moon, Mars, or other celestial bodies,” the Executive Order notes.

“Accordingly, the Secretary of State shall object to any attempt by any other state or international organization to treat the Moon Agreement as reflecting or otherwise expressing customary international law.”

For more information, go to:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Fact-Sheet-on-EO-Encouraging-International-Support-for-the-Recovery-and-Use-of-Space-Resources.pdf

and

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-encouraging-international-support-recovery-use-space-resources/

Warning: Shameless Plug

For a detailed discussion regarding the 1972 Moon Treaty, pros and cons, please read my latest book – Moon Rush – The New Space Race, published last year by National Geographic. 

For copies, go to:

https://www.amazon.com/Moon-Rush-New-Space-Race/dp/1426220057