Independent space colonization: questions and implications
by Taylor Dinerman - Monday, January 15, 2007

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http://www.thespacereview.com/article/784/1

The term "space colonization" has been declared off-limits in polite
society. The "c-word" is supposed to invoke all the terrible aspects of
old-fashioned imperialism, particularly European imperialism. One notes that
neither the Japanese nor the Turks nor the Russians feel particularly guilty
about their now-defunct empires. Even in Europe, the epicenter of the guilt
trip questions are now being asked, there was a major debate in France last
year over whether the �positive aspects of colonialism� should be taught in
schools.
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Soooh, a Lunar Base is set up and returns some scientific data and you would
like to see it expand.  Some of those ideas for mining He3 begin to work and
a space station at Earth-Moon L1 is constructed to handle transporting cargo
to various destinations in space or to Earth.

Your Lunar Base is growing in size and the numbers of personnel are
increasing.  You have satellites in polar orbits that have been checking for
magnetic anomalies and for different mineral resources.  You have
investigated some of the meteor crater sites and located not only iron but
some other metals like nickel and platinum.

A rotating space station to house humans is being constructed in cislunar
space and you are learning how to sling materials from your Lunar Base to
the construction site with a recently completed magnetic rail launcher.

This will take more robot mining machines and maintenance crews to provide
the resources.  You need a country store and some time out relaxation spots.
You are going to be here for longer than six months and would like some
comforts of home.

Can you build a town?  If so, who will run the place and have the force of
law?  We know that if you are in your spaceship that the country who owns
the craft has the responsibility for seeing things go according to their law
but now the number of "off world" built structures are springing up.  Who
controls that sintered regolith igloo you are living in?  If you do any
local trading, who will collect taxes and where will they go?
- LRK -

There is a flip side to this as well.  What if you decide to permanently
live off world and then have a change of heart and want to return to Earth,
will you still be a citizen of Earth?  What if you have kids born off world,
will they be citizens of Earth? (Especially if you get the treaties changed
to make an off world colony self governing.)

Adriano Autino is an Italian that would like to see some constitutional
amendments made that would ensure it is alright to live off world and return
to Earth, and I was just worried about getting out of LEO.
- LRK -

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Dear subscribers of the Right to Space Constitutional Clause Proposal, Cari
firmatari della proposta costituzionale per il diritto allo spazio, (vedere
anche la versione Italiana pi� avanti)

ENGLISH ____________________________________________________
After a promising start, the collection of signatures now is steady. As it
was logic to expect, after two mounths since the last newsletter, we need
new initiatives, if we want to keep the attention alive around our proposal,
to widen the area of knowledge of it and thus to solicit new signatures. We
need in fact to acknowledge that an initiative like this shall be organized
on the long term, and we have to setup accordingly.
We wrote a letter to the EU functionair who deals about space, asking him to
consider our proposal to be inserted in the European Constitutional draft,
and he replied that he will do it. We will also look for some Italian
politic channel, which can be receptive to our proposal.
Likely in April we'll be in television, on RAI 2 in an evening program
(9 pm), and it will be a very good opportunity to spread our message, and to
give a kind of "political program" supporting the start of the space
economy.
I would like, for that time (three mounths since now) to setup a goal:
that the signatures collection will reach at least the dimension of some
hundreds (nowadays we are standing at 60 :'( ). Only in this way we can hope
that the TV "booster" could count on a sufficient amount of "fuel", to take
us at least at sub-orbit altitude ( :-) ) !

May I however ask to each one of you some small actions to support our
proposal? Few and simple things, requiring few minutes, or to synergically
exploit some opportunity you could already be involved in.
1) In case you publish and maintain a web site, you could put the logo of
the campaign in your home page (just copy the logo from tha tdf home page
http://www.tdf.it/ ), with the link to the page where people can sign
(http://www.tdf.it/ constitution/sr-clause.htm)
2) If you run a mailing list or a blog, you could write to your participant
friends, asking them to go on the above page, and sign.
3) If you have access to some media (newspapers, radio, tv), you could use
some opportunity to make know our initiative.
4) If you have access to some political access in your country, and you
think it could be open to our proposal, please feel free to talk with them,
if you have a chance.
5) Any suggestion to better organize the campaign is of course welcome.
Please post it to me or, for the ones who subscribed to the list, to the
rts@tdf.it list.

By our side (myself and Patrick Collins) we are obviously available for
interviews by phone or by email and, should arise the opportunity, to
participate to conferences and symposia, or however public opportunities
where the communication about our constitutional proposal would be welcome.

ITALIANO
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I don't know if constitutional changes are necessary but I signed anyway.
Might bring some attention to the World and get others thinking about going
to space and covering all the bases should they get there and want to come
back.
- LRK -

Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
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Just in case you didn't get Jeff Foust's "This Week in The Space Review -
2007 January 15", you can subscribe at http://www.thespacereview.com/
- LRK -
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Welcome to this week's issue of The Space Review:

The Vision at three: smooth sailing or rough seas?
---
Three years after President Bush announced the Vision for Space Exploration,
the program appears to be alive and well, but is not without significant
near-term challenges.  Jeff Foust explains why the next two years are so
critical to the future of the agency's long- term exploration plans.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/785/1

Independent space colonization: questions and implications
---
The term "colonization" might have fallen out of favor in most audiences,
but the concept is essential to the long-term future of humans in space.
Taylor Dinerman discusses some of the legal issues of independent human
settlements beyond Earth.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/784/1

Pay attention: get a free trip around the Moon
---
FreeSpaceShot.com opens today offering advertiser-supported free trips
around the Moon. Owner Sam Dinkin introduces the concept and its
implications.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/783/1

The "base first" decision: crew survival and reusability
---
NASA's announcement last month that it plans to develop a lunar base will
shape the development of the vehicles that will take crews and supplies
there.  John Strickland examines the issues of crew survivability and the
importance of reusable spacecraft.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/782/1

Celebrating Korolyov
---
Friday marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of Russian space pioneer
Sergey Korolyov.  Lorne Ipsum reviews the life and accomplishments of the
Chief Designer.
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/781/1

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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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