President Donald Trump signed an executive order today (April 6) establishing U.S. policy on the exploitation of off-Earth resources. That policy stresses that the current regulatory regime — notably, the 1967 Outer Space Treaty — allows the use of such resources.
This view has long held sway in U.S. government circles. For example, the United States, like the other major spacefaring nations, has not signed the 1979 Moon Treaty, which stipulates that non-scientific use of space resources be governed by an international regulatory framework. And in 2015, Congress passed a law explicitly allowing American companies and citizens to use moon and asteroid resources.
The new executive order makes things even more official, stressing that the United States does not view space as a "global commons" and sees a clear path to off-Earth mining, without the need for further international treaty-level agreements.
https://www.space.com/trump-moon-mining-space-resources-executive-order.html
Another incremental step.
Does anyone else think were on the cusp of a new era where the usa, russia and china start investing heavily into space? Right now, we have at least a few private companies dashing into space because they realized they could make money selling internet service. But, I think all this recent talk and activity with the moon and and/or mars will soon spark off something bigger.
Futuristic stuff man.