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From: wildstar@nmtvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Private space miners
Message-ID: <823@nmtvax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 21-Oct-85 21:39:43 EDT
Article-I.D.: nmtvax.823
Posted: Mon Oct 21 21:39:43 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 24-Oct-85 05:48:20 EDT
References: <>
Reply-To: wildstar@nmtvax.UUCP (Andrew Fine)
Organization: New Mexico Tech, Socorro
Lines: 30
Summary: 


     I have a question for everyone:

     If I were to build a spacecraft, as a private company, which was 
capable of travel to the asteroid belt, are there any enforceable laws
out there that would prohibit me from mining rare earths, gold, platinum,
and the like and returning earthside to sell the product?

     I had the idea of using Joe Neumann's "energy device" as an energy
source for a constant-acceleration drive system. Certain people denounce
the device as a "perpetual motion machine", other people call it a
"mass-energy converter".  I for one am just willing to experiment with
small models to see if I can get a self-sustaining current. If it really
works, with the current feedback will ensure that a smaller model will
be just as effective as a larger one, if you assume you have materials
that can take the stress.

     I do recall the UN has an Outer Planets Treaty, and that there is
also one that claims all extra-terrestrial resources to be "common human
heritage".  I think there was also an international treaty restricting the
role of spaceflight to individual governments, as well as a United States
law prohibiting private spaceflight.  But I am curious to know the 
existance and present status of these laws, if such laws exist and are
currently in force.

Sincerely Yours,


Andrew Jonathan Fine
(Wildstar)