Business
Private investors in Moon projects seek government guarantees
By
By Elvira Palomo Washington, Feb 5
The potential of
exploiting natural resources on the Moon has stirred interest among US
companies, such as Bigelow Aerospace, willing to invest in missions as
long as the government provides approval and protections.
Since
there is no federal authority regulating private trips to the Moon,
companies have sought guarantees from the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), the agency that regulates and grants licences to
private companies and individuals involved in commercial space
transportation.
Bigelow Aerospace "wants to make it possible for
individuals, companies and countries to transform the Moon in a dynamic
scenario for the imagination and innovation", Michael Gold, the firm's
operations and business director in Washington DC, told Efe news agency.
The
company, owned by hotel mogul Robert Bigelow, a pioneer in the design
of expandable space modules for future colonies, will test one of the
living systems aboard the International Space Station (ISS) this year.
Before
achieving that goal, however, a legal framework is needed to give
investors "at least a minimum of assurances from the US government that
their activities will be authorised and protected", Gold said.
The
FAA does not have statutory jurisdiction over the Moon, but Bigelow
Aerospace contends any activity there should be preceded by licensing to
transport people and equipment just as with other commercial space
missions.
In December 2013, Bigelow Aerospace sent a letter to
FAA which, after consultations with other federal agencies, such as the
State Department, Defense Department and NASA, responded in a letter
more than one year later in a "pragmatic" fashion the company sees as
meaningful.
The FAA said it would use the licensing system under
its authority as "the best possible one to protect private sector assets
and personnel on the Moon, and to promote a safe and secure environment
for companies involved in peaceful commercial activities without
interference from other licenses" granted to different firms.
The federal agency, however, does not guarantee the right to claim territory on the Moon, the company said.