The world may be struggling against the silent killer that is COVID-19, but US President Donald Trump has otherworldly concerns on his mind too, after signing an executive order which encourages the United States to mine the moon for precious minerals.
President Trump started his venture into galactic affairs back when he called for the US to create a space army force, and he is now back with a brand new moon-landing mission.
Last Monday, the White House announced an executive order in which the president calls for U.S. business interests to start an expedition to the moon.
Even though the order states that a new mission to the moon would allow the country to explore and mine for minerals, it hints that the scope of this revolutionary era of commercialization would also apply to “Mars and other celestial bodies.”
Trump signs executive order to support moon mining, tap asteroid resources https://t.co/Hs2NKuhpFj pic.twitter.com/bXM0RAYPff
— SPACE.com (@SPACEdotcom) April 6, 2020
The ambitious lunar mission would encompass a search for minerals, in addition to water, and this would require partnerships to be formed between the government and private industry.
As per the executive order, one of the biggest barriers holding businesses back from embarking on this venture is
“uncertainty regarding the right to recover and use space resources, including the extension of the right to commercial recovery and use of lunar resources.”
The president’s order attempts to expand the limited legal framework that keeps in check various nations’ claims to outer space. A number of international resolutions such as the Moon Agreement have been crafted in the previous half a century, but the White House in its executive order did not mention their legitimacy.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been given 180 days to discuss the matter with other high-ranking officials as well as the head of NASA before getting back to Trump with a clearer picture of the situation.
19 years ago, NASA managed to land the first object made by man, on an asteroid. This lead to heated discussions about whether some rare minerals could someday be extracted from rocks flying through the universe.
In a statement, the president said:
“After braving the vast unknown and discovering the new world, our forefathers did not only merely sail home—and, in some cases, never to return.They stayed, they explored, they built, they guided, and through that pioneering spirit, they imagined all of the possibilities that few dared to dream.”
In the interview below RT and Rick Sanchez discuss how some other countries reacted to the news.
What are your thoughts on the president’s bold, adventurous plan? Let us know by joining the conversation in the comments and please share this article if you’ve found it of value.
