Can space become a zone exempt from supranational regulations? Can space turn into a territory ruled by private interests? These questions are being asked acutely in the scientific community.
For several years, many companies have been investing in the space sector in search of new economic opportunities. The metals contained in asteroids whet the appetites of entrepreneurs who are fascinated by the profits they can make with them.
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Secret competition for valuable minerals
In a context of increasing competition, space companies operate their boats out of sight, reports the New York Times (NYT) this Wednesday, December 27th. None of them want to communicate their designs at the risk of losing a comparative advantage over a competitor.
The trading system is watching space, as noted by the American daily newspaper, which was interested in the case of AstroForge, a space company that announced its intention to send a space probe to collect valuable minerals from an asteroid in Earth orbit.
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Some of these space objects contain gold, iridium or even osmium, materials estimated at several thousand euros per gram. Resources available in varying quantities that could be extracted in 2024.
A success of the mission would be an explosion for the industry. It would be the first commercial mission to explore space beyond the moon. In the scientific microcosm, the ambitions of these private institutions fuel fears and crystallize resistance.
“I'm not in favor of letting objects swirl around in the inner solar system without anyone knowing where they are,” warned NYT astronomer Jonathan McDowell. “We see frequent launches that we don’t know about until later,” he continued.
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In 2019, an Israeli commercial lander crashed on the moon. There were microscopic animals on board, which were not disclosed by the Beresheet company. An investigation is still ongoing. The authorities had said they feared contamination of the Earth's satellite.
No binding legislation
Land clearing companies follow the contours of incomplete laws. For missions conducted in parts of space, no law prohibits companies from disclosing their space destinations. Only non-binding UN guidelines require transparency from space agencies and companies. However, there is no penalty for this.
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The most important players in these new space conquests remain billionaires Elon Musk, the head of SpaceX, Richard Branson, the owner of Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos, owner of Blue Origin.
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