ARCHIVES
VOL. 6, ISSUE 3 (2024)
Examining the benefits and the legal challenges of asteroid mining in outer space
Authors
Ismatov Azimjon, Karikari Livingston, Jennifer Kaguah, Karikari Shirley
Abstract
Humanity has always been drawn to exploring new areas, mostly for the
purpose of scientific and commercial advancement. This quest for new frontiers
is inherent to the species. It has been suggested that asteroid mining may be
used to supplement Earth-based rare earth metal supplies and provide resources,
such water, to space. But as awareness of Earth's finite natural resources has
grown, so has the emphasis on finding other celestial bodies that may be mined
for additional purposes. By telescopic research and the analysis of meteorite
fragments discovered on Earth, scientists have been able to learn more about
asteroids. Asteroids are rocky objects that circle the sun. They range in size
from a few meters across to the largest, Ceres, which is known as a "dwarf
planet" because of its average diameter of 952 km. Located in the
"main asteroid belt" between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, the
majority of the solar systems millions of asteroids are found. Countries where
mining in space is an interest. With appropriate technology and regulations,
mankind can use the abundant mineral resources on the moon and asteroids.
Regarding legislation, the United States of America and Luxembourg have been
the two countries that have specifically expressed interest in space mining.
Regretfully, in the international law community, the legal concerns pertaining
to mining asteroids in space have been a hot topic of conversation. The paper
expands the benefits of asteroid mining and ponders on the global governance
challenges brought about by space mining activities and suggests legal, policy
and global frameworks.
Download
Pages:216-221
How to cite this article:
Ismatov Azimjon, Karikari Livingston, Jennifer Kaguah, Karikari Shirley "Examining the benefits and the legal challenges of asteroid mining in outer space". International Journal of Law, Policy and Social Review, Vol 6, Issue 3, 2024, Pages 216-221
Download Author Certificate
Please enter the email address corresponding to this article submission to download your certificate.