Property Rights in Space: Moving the Goal Posts so the Players don't Notice

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2016/v19i0a1505

Keywords:

space law, space, outer space, ownership, moon, mars, property rights in space, property law, property-like rights, Outer Space Treaty, Moon Treaty, appropriation, non-appropriation principle, mining, tourism, colonisationBIBLIOGRAPHY Literature Bauer, Ba

Abstract

Elsewhere in "Rethinking Terra Nullius and Property in Space", I have argued that due to the changing circumstances of access to space by private entities rather than governments, the current legal situation with regard to ownership in space should be reconsidered. As it stands, ownership in space is governed by international law and currently private and even national ownership of celestial bodies is prohibited.

While (controversially) arguing for the recognition of private ownership in space, I constantly have to field questions surrounding the pragmatic assertion that since international law and United Nations treaties and conventions prohibit ownership in space, there can be no development that will allow for this. Hence, while not abandoning my purely property law-oriented arguments for recognising private ownership in and on celestial bodies, I will maintain my arguments for property rights in space and analyse a number of differing options available to private entities who would like to acquire property rights in space. As such, I purposefully avoid the maligned terminology of "ownership", and rather look at various other options that still give the intrepid celestial entrepreneur some sort of property right, or even a property-like protection of their interests in space. Some examples include concessions, mining licences, prospecting rights, and certain contractual rights that could benefit from property-like protection.

The thesis is that even if ownership of celestial objects is not accepted due to the existence of various problematic dogmatic viewpoints, one would still be able to achieve much the same effect by using other property mechanisms. 

     Google_Scholar_12040.png

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

Author Biography

Wian Erlank, North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus)

Associate Professor in Law

Associate Editor PER/PELJ

References

Bibliography

Literature

Bauer, Bauer and Stürner Sachenrecht

Bauer F, Bauer JF and Stürner R Sachenrecht 17th ed (CH Beck München 1999)

Bentham "Principles of the Civil Code"

Bentham J "Principles of the Civil Code" in Bowring J (ed) The Works of Jeremy Bentham Vol I (William Tait Edinburgh 1864) 297-364

Blackstone Commentaries

Blackstone W Commentaries on the Laws of England (Clarendon Oxford 1765-1769)

Blount 2011 Denv J Int'l L & Pol'y

Blount PJ "Renovating Space: The Future of International Space Law" 2011 Denv J Int'l L & Pol'y 515-532

Chatzipanagiotis 2011 Proceedings of the IISL

Chatzipanagiotis M "The Impact of Liability Rules on the Development of Private Commercial Human Spaceflight" 2011 Proceedings of the IISL 52-62

Cherian and Abraham 2007 JICLT

Cherian GJ and Abraham J "Concept of Private Property in Space – An Analysis" 2007 JICLT 211-220

Diederiks-Verschoor Introduction to Space Law

Diederiks-Verschoor IHP An Introduction to Space Law 3rd ed (Kluwer Law Alphen aan den Rijn 1999)

Du Bois Wille's Principles of South African Law

Du Bois F (ed) Wille's Principles of South African Law 9th ed (Juta Cape Town 2007)

Elvis 2014 Planetary and Space Science

Elvis M "How Many Ore-bearing Asteroids?" 2014 Planetary and Space Science 20-26

Erlank Property in Virtual Worlds

Erlank W Property in Virtual Worlds (LLD-dissertation University of Stellenbosch 2012)

Erlank 2015 PELJ

Erlank W "Rethinking Terra Nullius and Property Law in Space" 2015(4) PELJ 1-24

Erlank 2016 (forthcoming)

Erlank W "Classifying Objects in Space According to South African Law" 2016 (forthcoming)

Ferreira-Snyman 2014 PELJ

Ferreira-Snyman A "Legal Challenges Relating to the Commercial Use of Outer Space, with Specific Reference to Space Tourism" 2014 PELJ 2-50

Freeland 2010 Melb J Int'l L

Freeland S "Fly Me to the Moon: How will International Law Cope with Commercial Space Tourism?" 2010 Melb J Int'l L 90-118.

Freeland "Outer Space and the Non-Appropriation Principle"

Freeland S "Outer Space and the Non-Appropriation Principle" in Smith JC (ed) Property and Sovereignty (Ashgate Surrey 2013) 81-98

Goh Dispute Settlement

Goh GM Dispute Settlement in International Space Law (PhD-dissertation University of Leiden 2007)

Hardin 1968 Science

Hardin G "The Tragedy if the Commons" 1968 Science 1243-1248

Hasnain, Lamb and Ross 2012 Acta Astronautica

Hasnain Z, Lamb CA and Ross SD "Capturing Near-Earth Asteroids around Earth" 2012 Acta Astronautica 523-531

Heinlein Friday

Heinlein RA Friday (Del Rey New York 1983)

Hobe 2007 Neb L Rev

Hobe S "Legal Aspects of Space Tourism" 2007 Neb L Rev 439-458

Hobe and Cloppenburg 2004 Proceedings of the IISL

Hobe S and Cloppenburg J "Toward a New Aerospace Convention? – Selected Legal Issues of 'Space Tourism'" 2004 Proceedings of the IISL 377-383

Hoffstadt 1994 UCLA L Rev

Hoffstadt BM "Moving the Heavens: Lunar Mining and the 'Common Heritage of Mankind' in the Moon Treaty" 1994 UCLA L Rev 575-621

Laslett Locke: Two Treatises of Government

Laslett P Locke: Two Treatises of Government (Cambridge University Press Cambridge 1988)

Listner 2003 Regent J Int'l L

Listner MJ "The Ownership and Exploitation of Outer Space: A Look at the Foundational Law and Future Legal Challenges to Current Claims" 2003 Regent J Int'l L 75-94

Lyall and Larsen Space Law

Lyall F and Larsen PB Space Law: A Treatise (Ashgate Surrey 2009)

Marks NewScientist

Marks P "Who Owns Asteroids or the Moon?" NewScientist (2 June 2012) 28

Masson-Zwaan 2008 Proceedings of the IISL

Masson-Zwaan T "Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty and Private Human Access to Space" 2008 Proceedings of the IISL 536-546

Neger and Walter "Space Law"

Neger T and Walter E "Space Law: An Independent Branch of the Legal System" in Brünner C and Soucek A (eds) Outer Space in Society, Politics and Law (Springer Vienna 2011) 234-246

O'Leary 1988 Acta Astronautica

O'Leary B "Asteroid Mining and the Moons of Mars" 1988 Acta Astronautica 457-462

Preston and Child Wheel of Darkness

Preston D and Child L The Wheel of Darkness (Hachette New York 2008)

Radin Reinterpreting Property

Radin MJ Reinterpreting Property (University of Chicago Press Chicago 1993)

Reich 1964 Yale LJ

Reich C "The New Property" 1964 Yale LJ 733-787

Rose 1986 U Chi L Rev

Rose CM "The Comedy of the Commons: Customs, Commerce, and Inherently Public Property" 1986 U Chi L Rev 711-781

Rose 1996 Notre Dame L Rev

Rose CM "Property as the Keystone Right?" 1996 Notre Dame L Rev 329-369

Sippel 2010 Acta Astronautica

Sippel M "Promising Roadmap Alternatives for the SpaceLiner" 2010 Acta Astronautica 1652-1658

Sonter 1998 Acta Astronautica

Sonter MJ "The Technical and Economic Feasibility of Mining the Near-Earth Asteroids" 1998 Acta Astronautica 637-647

Sundahl 2009 J Space L

Sundahl MJ "The Duty to Rescue Space Tourists and Return Private Spacecraft" 2009 J Space L 163-200

Twibell 1997 ILSA J Int'l & Comp L

Twibell TS "Circumnavigating International Space Law" 1997 ILSA J Int'l & Comp L 259-295

Van der Merwe Sakereg

Van der Merwe CG Sakereg 2nd ed (Butterworths Durban 1989)

Van der Merwe and De Waal Law of Things

Van der Merwe CG and De Waal MJ The Law of Things and Servitudes (Butterworths Durban 1993)

Van der Walt 2004 SAPR/PL

Van der Walt "A South African Reading of Frank Michelman's Theory of Social Justice" 2004 SAPR/PL 253-307

Van Wyk 2008 African Skies

Van Wyk JA "Overview of the Implementation Status of the Five United Nations Treaties on Outer Space in African Countries" 2008 African Skies / Cieux Africains 90-99

Visser 1985 Acta Juridica

Visser D "The 'Absoluteness' of Ownership: The South African Common Law in Perspective" 1985 Acta Juridica 39-52

Walter "Privatisation and Commercialisation of Outer Space"

Walter E "The Privatisation and Commercialisation of Outer Space" in Brünner C and Soucek A (eds) Outer Space in Society, Politics and Law (Springer Vienna 2011) 493-518

International instruments

Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (1979) (Moon Agreement)

Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space (1968) (Rescue Agreement)

Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects (1972) (Liability Convention)

Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space (1975) (Registration Convention)

Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (1967) (Outer Space Treaty)

Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space, the Threat or Use of Force against Outer Space Objects (2008)

Legislation

US Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act HR 2262 of 2015

Internet sources

BBC News 2007 http://bbc.in/1XjQVAk

BBC News 2007 Russia Plants Flag Under N Pole http://bbc.in/1XjQVAk accessed 20 March 2015

Brewster 2013 http://bit.ly/1Tzlixb

Brewster S 2013 NASA Wants to Build Huge Spacecraft in Orbit with Robots and 3D Printers http://bit.ly/1Tzlixb accessed 25 March 2015

De Nederlandsche Bank date unknown http://bit.ly/1Ofusm2

De Nederlandsche Bank date unknown Deposit Guarantee Scheme http://bit.ly/1Ofusm2 accessed 23 March 2015

DSI date unknown http://bit.ly/24LnJId

Deep Space Industries date unknown NASA Postpones Decision on Asteroid Redirect Mission Strategy http://bit.ly/24LnJId accessed 20 March 2015

DSI 2015 http://bit.ly/1XjRmdT

Deep Space Industries 2015 Deep Space Industries: Building the Infrastructure of a New Space Economy http://bit.ly/1XjRmdT accessed 20 March 2015

Dezeen 2013 http://bit.ly/1T9zfV6

Dezeen 2013 NASA Develops 3D Printing Factory in Space

http://bit.ly/1T9zfV6 accessed 26 March 2015

Dilorenzo and Hinnant 2013 http://yhoo.it/1XjRWZi

Dilorenzo S and Hinnant L 2013 Supersonic Travel? Ballistic Jetliners? Air Travel Innovations are Slower, Subtler http://yhoo.it/1XjRWZi accessed 15 March 2015

Erlank 2012 http://bit.ly/24J1GhO

Erlank W 2012 Rethinking Terra Nullius and Property Law in Space http://bit.ly/24J1GhO accessed 15 March 2015

ESA 2013 http://bit.ly/1rEZMjS

European Space Agency 2013 Building a Lunar Base with 3D Printing http://bit.ly/1rEZMjS accessed 26 March 2015

ESA 2015 http://bit.ly/1VSd0GN

European Space Agency 2015 ESA Science Rosetta http://bit.ly/1VSd0GN accessed 20 March 2015

Foster and Partners 2013 http://bit.ly/1WYY8Fp

Foster and Partners 2013 Foster + Partners Works with European Space Agency to 3D Print Structures on the Moon http://bit.ly/1WYY8Fp accessed 27 March 2015

Fuentes 2015 http://bit.ly/1OfvM8x

Fuentes U 2015 Understanding the Legal Status of the Moon http://bit.ly/1OfvM8x accessed 5 March 2015

Futron 2002 httpwasser://www.futron.com/upload/wysiwyg/Resources/

Whitepapers/Space_Transportation_Costs_Trends_0902.pdf

Futron 2002 Transportation Costs: Trends in Price per Pound to Orbit 1990-2000 http://www.futron.com/upload/wysiwyg/Resources/Whitepapers/Space_Transportation_Costs_Trends_0902.pdf accessed 30 March 2015

Hartnett 2014 http://bit.ly/2dUGd3u

Hartnett K 2014 The Comet Landing as a Prelude to Asteroid Mining http://bit.ly/2dUGd3u accessed 26 March 2015

Komnenic 2014 http://bit.ly/1ZCi7ch

Komnenic A 2014 Is Space Mining Commercially Viable? http://bit.ly/1ZCi7ch accessed 16 March 2015

Lewis 1984 http://nyti.ms/1WmzfEz

Lewis P 1984 Europe's Factories in Space http://nyti.ms/1WmzfEz accessed 26 March 2015

Listner 2011 http://bit.ly/21TTN7n

Listner MJ 2011The Moon Treaty: Failed International Law or Waiting in the Shadows? http://bit.ly/21TTN7n accessed 5 March 2015

Mars Initiative 2015 http://www.marsinitiative.org

Mars Initiative 2015 Mars Initiative http://www.marsinitiative.org accessed 28 March 2015

Mars One 2015 http://www.mars-one.com

Mars One 2015 Mars One http://www.mars-one.com accessed

March 2015

NASA JPL date unknown http://go.nasa.gov/27dZXDo

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Jet Propulsion Laboratory date unknown Rosetta Overview http://go.nasa.gov/27dZXDo accessed 20 March 2015

Orzel 2011 http://bit.ly/1qdZTlb

Orzel C 2011 Ballistic Air Travel Uncertain Principles http://bit.ly/1qdZTlb accessed 30 March 2015

Planet Science 2012 http://bit.ly/23HPDyK

Planet Science 2012 Mining in Space http://bit.ly/23HPDyK accessed 27 March 2015

Planetary Resources 2014 http://bit.ly/1sdM2gT

Planetary Resources 2014 Recap of a Memorable Year from Planetary Resources http://bit.ly/1sdM2gT accessed 30 March 2015

Reynolds 2008 http://bit.ly/1qe0VO5

Reynolds GH 2008 Who Owns the Moon? The Case for Lunar Property Rights http://bit.ly/1qe0VO5 accessed 5 March 2015

Risen 2014 http://bit.ly/21X2gqA

Risen T 2014 Rosetta Comet Landing is Space Game-Changer http://bit.ly/21X2gqA accessed 20 March 2015

Thomas 2013 http://reut.rs/1XlrAGj

Thomas S 2013 Gold Rush in Space? Asteroid Miners Prepare, But Eye Water First http://reut.rs/1XlrAGj accessed 26 March 2015

Wang 2013 http://bit.ly/24LNIvB

Wang P 2013 Tragedy of Commons in Outer Space: The Case of Space Debris http://bit.ly/24LNIvB accessed 26 March 2015

Wikipedia Contributors 2015 http://bit.ly/24OtSTS

Wikipedia Contributors 2015 Spaceflight: Point to Point Sub Orbital Spaceflight http://bit.ly/24OtSTS accessed 20 March 2015

Published

17-05-2017

How to Cite

Erlank, W. (2017). Property Rights in Space: Moving the Goal Posts so the Players don’t Notice. Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal, 19, 1–31. https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2016/v19i0a1505

Issue

Section

Articles