Latest news with #outerspace
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Space law doesn't protect historical sites, mining operations and bases on the moon – a space lawyer describes a framework that could
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. April 2025 was a busy month for space. Pop icon Katy Perry joined five other civilian women on a quick jaunt to the edge of space, making headlines. Meanwhile, another group of people at the United Nations was contemplating a critical issue for the future of space exploration: the discovery, extraction and utilization of natural resources on the moon. At the end of April, a dedicated Working Group of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space released a draft set of recommended principles for space resource activities. Essentially, these are rules to govern mining on the moon, asteroids and elsewhere in space for elements that are rare here on Earth. As a space lawyer and co-founder of For All Moonkind, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting human heritage in outer space, I know that the moon could be the proving ground for humanity's evolution into a species that lives and thrives on more than one planet. However, this new frontier raises complex legal questions. Outer space – including the moon – from a legal perspective, is a unique domain without direct terrestrial equivalent. It is not, like the high seas, the 'common heritage of humankind,' nor is it an area, like Antarctica, where commercial mining is prohibited. Instead, the 1967 Outer Space Treaty – signed by more than 115 nations, including China, Russia and the United States – establishes that the exploration and use of space are the 'province of all humankind.' That means no country may claim territory in outer space, and all have the right to access all areas of the moon and other celestial bodies freely. The fact that, pursuant to Article II of the treaty, a country cannot claim territory in outer space, known as the nonappropriation principle, suggests to some that property ownership in space is forbidden. Can this be true? If your grandchildren move to Mars, will they never own a home? How can a company protect its investment in a lunar mine if it must be freely accessible by all? What happens, as it inevitably will, when two rovers race to a particular area on the lunar surface known to host valuable water ice? Does the winner take all? As it turns out, the Outer Space Treaty does offer some wiggle room. Article IX requires countries to show 'due regard' for the corresponding interests of others. It is a legally vague standard, although the Permanent Court of Arbitration has suggested that due regard means simply paying attention to what's reasonable under the circumstances. The treaty's broad language encourages a race to the moon. The first entity to any spot will have a unilateral opportunity to determine what's legally 'reasonable.' For example, creating an overly large buffer zone around equipment might be justified to mitigate potential damage from lunar dust. On top of that, Article XII of the Outer Space Treaty assumes that there will be installations, like bases or mining operations, on the moon. Contrary to the free access principle, the treaty suggests that access to these may be blocked unless the owner grants permission to enter. Both of these paths within the treaty would allow the first person to make it to their desired spot on the moon to keep others out. The U.N. principles in their current form don't address these loopholes. The draft U.N. principles released in April mirror, and are confined by, the language of the Outer Space Treaty. This tension between free access and the need to protect – most easily by forbidding access – remains unresolved. And the clock is ticking. The U.S. Artemis program aims to return humans to the moon by 2028, China has plans for human return by 2030, and in the intervening years, more than 100 robotic missions are planned by countries and private industry alike. For the most part, these missions are all headed to the same sweet spot: the lunar south pole. Here, peaks of eternal light and deep craters containing water ice promise the best mining, science and research opportunities. In this excitement, it's easy to forget that humans already have a deep history of lunar exploration. Scattered on the lunar surface are artifacts displaying humanity's technological progress. After centuries of gazing at our closest celestial neighbor with fascination, in 1959 the Soviet spacecraft, Luna 2, became the first human-made object to impact another celestial body. Ten years later, two humans, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, became the first ever to set foot upon another celestial body. More recently, in 2019, China's Chang'e 4 achieved the first soft landing on the moon's far side. And in 2023, India's Chandrayaan-3 became the first to land successfully near the lunar south pole. These sites memorialize humanity's baby steps off our home planet and easily meet the United Nations definition of terrestrial heritage, as they are so 'exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and to be of common importance for present and future generations of all humanity.' The international community works to protect such sites on Earth, but those protection protocols do not extend to outer space. The more than 115 other sites on the Moon that bear evidence of human activity are frozen in time without degradation from weather, animal or human activity. But this could change. A single errant spacecraft or rover could kick up abrasive lunar dust, erasing bootprints or damaging artifacts. RELATED ARTICLES — Property and sovereignty in space: Countries and companies face potential clashes as they take to the stars — The 1st private moon landing just happened. Is it time for lunar law? — Space pirates already have their sights set on the 'high seas' of Earth orbit. Can we stop them? In 2011, NASA recommended establishing buffer, or safety zones, of up to 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) to protect certain sites with U.S. artifacts. Because it understood that outright exclusion violates the Outer Space Treaty, NASA issued these recommendations as voluntary guidelines. Nevertheless, the safety zone concept, essentially managing access to and activities around specific areas, could be a practical tool for protecting heritage sites. They could act as a starting point to find a balance between protection and access. One hundred and ninety-six nations have agreed, through the 1972 World Heritage Convention, on the importance of recognizing and protecting cultural heritage of universal value found here on Earth. Building on this agreement, the international community could require specific access protocols — such as a permitting process, activity restrictions, shared access rules, monitoring and other controls — for heritage sites on the Moon. If accepted, these protective measures for heritage sites could also work as a template for scientific and operational sites. This would create a consistent framework that avoids the perception of claiming territory. At this time, the draft U.N. principles released in April 2025 do not directly address the opposing concepts of access and protection. Instead, they defer to Article I of the Outer Space Treaty and reaffirm that everyone has free access to all areas of the Moon and other celestial bodies. As more countries and companies compete to reach the Moon, a clear lunar legal framework can guide them to avoid conflicts and preserve historical sites. The draft U.N. principles show that the international community is ready to explore what this framework could look like. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Moving new film Elio is Pixar's best in years
Animation studio Pixar has had a somewhat spotty track record in recent years, with films like Lightyear, Onward and Turning Red failing to connect with audiences. Let's hope the same fate doesn't befall its latest offering, Elio – it's arguably the best Pixar film since 2017's acclaimed smash hit Coco. Elio (Yonas Kibreab) is the film's titular hero, a young boy now living with his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldana) after his parents met a tragic end. The movie gets us up to speed with efficiency: Elio is parentless and friendless, has a deep obsession with outer space – and an intense yearning to be abducted by aliens. He spends his nights on the roof of his house, trying to commune with anyone in space who'll listen, begging them to beam him up. Elio's aunt works on an army base with an astronaut program and space-monitoring satellites – which means Elio gets his wish relatively early in the piece when aliens pick up on his messages and beam him up. This is where the film comes alive, as Elio is beamed directly to the 'Communiverse,' a sort of UN gathering of peaceful aliens from across the galaxies. Pixar have done an incredible job bringing the various aliens to life, with inventive and at times genuinely jaw-dropping animation (wide shots of the Communiverse bring to mind the beauty of Coco 's 'marigold bridge' scenes). But it's not all happy up in space: The aliens are under the assumption Elio is the leader of earth, and soon he's thrust forward to negotiate with a fearsome, violent warlord named Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett, playing a character responsible for the film's few scenes that may frighten young children – or at least, did in my screening). There are shades of Mickey 17 to the young alien Elio befriends, a slug-like creature named Glordon (Remy Edgerly) who's much less fearsome than he appears. It's genuinely moving to watch Elio make a friend for the first time, as the pair's epic adventure unfolds towards one of those classic Pixar endings that will keep children satisfied - and will have adults wiping away tears as the credits roll.
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Elio movie review: Pixar's take on E.T. is a rare misfire from the animation studio
2.5/5 stars In an industry where originality is becoming an increasing rarity, Pixar is one company that prides itself on carving out unique stories. But not every story lands perfectly, a thought that strikes when it comes to the animation giant's latest feature, Elio. The tale of an orphaned boy who desperately wants to discover life in outer space, it's maybe the closest we've come to seeing Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial rendered in cartoon form – despite having far less of an impact. When we join Elio (voiced by Yonas Kibreab), he is hiding under a canteen table. We never find out what happened to his parents, but he is now the responsibility of his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldaña), who works on a military base. Play Olga is kindly but unable to connect with her traumatised nephew. Instead, all he wants is to encounter interplanetary life forms. 'Aliens abduct me,' he scrawls in the sand on the beach near the base. Then, as he is being bullied by some local kids, his wish comes true. He is spirited away to meet an array of colourful aliens – the so-called Communiverse.
Asharq Al-Awsat
03-06-2025
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi Arabia Takes Part in 64th COPUOS Legal Subcommittee Session in Vienna
Saudi Arabia, represented by the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) and the Saudi Space Agency (SSA), participated in the 64th session of the Legal Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), held in Vienna, Austria, from May 5 to 16, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday. The session aimed to address legal issues related to space activities, including the legal aspects of the use of outer space and the challenges arising from commercial activities and space debris. The session witnessed discussions and a general exchange of views on several topics related to the peaceful use of outer space, a review of the status and application of the five United Nations treaties related to outer space, and the definition and delimitation of outer space, in addition to various other topics. COPUOS was established by the UN General Assembly more than 65 years ago and is headquartered in Vienna. The committee began with 24 member states and has since expanded to 102, making it one of the larger UN committees. The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) serves as the committee's secretariat.
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
North Korea threatens nuclear war in SPACE as it joins Russia and China in condemning Trump's $175billion Golden Dome missile defence system
North Korea has warned that a nuclear war could erupt in space, as it joined Russia and China in condemning US president Donald Trump 's futuristic vision of a 'Golden Dome' missile defence system. The $175billion (£129billion) project, proposed by Trump and inspired by Israel 's Iron Dome system, is aimed at blocking threats from adversaries like China and Russia. But Pyongyang's foreign ministry said Trump's plan risks turning 'outer space into a potential nuclear war field' and called it 'the height of self-righteousness [and] arrogance.' It accused the US of being 'hell-bent... to militarise outer space' and starkly warned that the programme could spark a 'a global nuclear and space arms race.' Earlier today, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Trump's project undermines the foundations of strategic stability as it involves the creation of a global missile defence system. And last week, Beijing said it was 'seriously concerned' about the Golden Dome, which it said has 'strong offensive implications'. China's foreign ministry said: 'The United States, in pursuing a "US-first" policy, is obsessed with seeking absolute security for itself. 'This violates the principle that the security of all countries should not be compromised and undermines global strategic balance and stability.' This picture taken on May 8, 2025 shows a joint striking drill of long-range artillery and missile systems of the Korean People's Army eastern front division at an undisclosed location in North Korea North Korea has threatened to start a nuclear war in space, after joining Russia and China in slamming US president Donald Trump's (pictured) futuristic vision of a 'Golden Dome' missile defence system Kim Jong Un speaks during a launching ceremony of a new naval destroyer at a western port in Nampo, North Korea, on April 25, 2025 Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told AFP that Kim Jong Un likely sees Trump's Golden Dome as a threat that can "significantly weaken" its nuclear arsenal. 'If the US completes its new missile defence programme, the North will be forced to develop alternative means to counter or penetrate it,' he said. In April, Kim Jong Un unveiled a nuclear-capable naval destroyer that he says will bolster North Korea's ability to defend itself in the face of perceived aggression from the US and its regional allies. The North Korean leader attended the warship's launch ceremony at the western port of Nampo with his teenage daughter Kim Ju Ae, according to state-run media. Ju Ae has been widely regarded by analysts as the likely successor to Kim since she was referred to as a 'great person of guidance' in an official report last year. Kim said the 5,000-ton vessel would bolster efforts to expand the operational range and preemptive strike capabilities of his nuclear-armed military. The 'multi-purpose' destroyer, designed to handle a variety of arms including nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles, was touted as the first in a new class of heavily armed warships. Kim, who has framed the arms buildup as a response to the supposed danger posed by the US and its allies in Asia, said the destroyer would be handed over to the navy early next year before beginning active duty. According to state media, Kim has said the 5,000-ton vessel will bolster efforts to expand the operational range and preemptive strike capabilities of his nuclear-armed military Jo Chun Ryong, a secretary in the ruling Workers' party, claimed the ship was equipped with the 'most powerful weapons' and was built 'within 400-odd days'. Kim also took aim at efforts by the US and South Korea to expand joint military exercises and update their nuclear deterrence strategies, which he portrayed as preparations for war. He vowed to 'respond decisively to this geopolitical crisis and ongoing developments,' the Korean Central News Agency reported.
