Science, Settlement, Security, or Sales? Competing and Complementary Visions for Asteroid Policy

Abstract

The unique features of asteroids present challenges to the making of policy for asteroid-based activities, including mining and planetary defense. Any sound approach to policymaking for asteroid mining should be based on an explicit and considered set of long-term, fundamental objectives for asteroid-based space activities, rather than an ad hoc response to particular commercial or other initiatives. We consider four classes of asteroid activities: science, human settlement of other parts of the solar system, planetary defense, and commercial mining. While these activities are not competing, they are respectively best served by policy measures that are not straightforwardly compatible. Trade-offs between measures that best serve these different goals may arise. This paper discusses these four activities and their related policy demands, highlighting issues for further debate.

Meeting Name

66th International Astronautical Congress 2015 (2015: Oct. 12-16, Jerusalem, Israel)

Department(s)

History and Political Science

Keywords and Phrases

Economic and social effects; Reconfigurable hardware; Human settlements; Planetary defense; Policy making; Policy measures; Space activities; Trade off; Unique features; Asteroids

International Standard Book Number (ISBN)

978-1-5108-1893-4

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0074-1795

Document Type

Article - Conference proceedings

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2015 International Astronautical Federation (IAF), All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Oct 2015

Link to Full Text

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