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louis, I think I understand you're saying that mining generally isn't appropriation as long as the miner isn't telling someone else that they can't mine there also. If I've got that right, is there a limit? For example, could either a government or a private company tap out the entire planet Mars until nothing remains, take in $20 trillion from selling the mined materials, and not be said to have appropriated Mars or its resources as long as they didn't stop anyone else from trying the same?
I feel like I'm missing something in this idea of mining not being prohibited by The Outer Space Treaty. The excerpts below seem to me to pretty strongly and simply say that nobody- government or private- can take bits of space/celestial bodies and sell them as their own. Appropriation "by means of use or occupation, or by any other means" sounds pretty broad.
"Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means." 1967 Outer Space Treaty Article II.
And for those who say that this applies only to governments, not to non-governmental entities (which to me would make the whole treaty kind of pointless), "States Parties to the Treaty shall bear international responsibility for national activities in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, whether such activities are carried on by governmental agencies or by non-governmental entities, and for assuring that national activities are carried out in conformity with the provisions set forth in the present Treaty." 1967 Outer Space Treaty Article VI.
How does mining escape that prohibition?
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