Excellent article. I think you skip over the biggest impediment to really opening space up, the United Nation’s “Outer Space Treaty”. Besides the really silly concept that nations without any real prospects for going into space were signing treaties about restricting commercial rights in space (a nice and generous sentiment but truly moronic statecraft on the part of those who are pioneering space) there is the core problem that the treaty proudly illustrates in its constant mentioning of “co-operation” in space exploration:
Article III
States Parties to the Treaty shall carry on activities in the exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, in accordance with international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, in the interest of maintaining international peace and security and promoting international co- operation and understanding.Article X
In order to promote international co-operation in the exploration and use of outer space …
while never once mentioning competition.
Areas are pioneered by competition, not cooperation. The Outer Space Treaty is so anti-American in how it approaches the next frontier that it boggles the mind. If we want to move into space, then the first step is to leave the Outer Space Treaty. The Moon will belong to whomever gets there first and is able to protect the borders they define. That is just a fact, no matter what anyone signs onto. I would love to see an all-out competition by American companies, NASA, China, Russia to get back to the Moon to start establishing sovereign territory and doing business. This is what is needed to spur the development of space.
