For decades, humanity has anticipated space being the next frontier to explore. Exploring the "Great Beyond" has now opened new questions for Americans on foreign policy and the future.
The oversight and investigation subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee addressed the topic of mining the moon and asteroids for natural resources for the first time at a Dec. 12 hearing, where witnesses debated if space resource extraction would be advantageous for the future of the United States but needs both careful scientific study and government support.
The issue quickly became partisan, however, as Democrats adopted a rather pragmatic approach to the issue. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) stated, "It is an important conversation to be had in the committee that can consider legislation about it. Newsflash: that committee is not this one." Democrats like Rep. Kamlager-Dove seem to find no benefit to the future practice like US Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ).
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Rep. Gosar advocated for space exploration and resource mining in the hearing and also responded to Cactus Politics' request for comment regarding the issue.
"Mining in space is going to happen. The question is whether we will let the Chinese and the Russians operate exclusively or whether the U.S. has a seat at the table. The radical left has reduced domestic mining jeopardizing our economy, our energy grid, and our manufacturing," said Rep. Gosar. "Space mining is all the more necessary since there is no EPA in space, no federal court jurisdiction, and no way for rabid environmentalists to stop it."
Brett Mecum, a prominent political consultant and a graduate student at the Thunderbird School of Global Management in the Space Leadership, Business, and Policy program, backed up Gosar's claims.
"This hearing was historic in that a House Committee, other than the Science Committee, is taking up space-related issues. The hearing underscored that the United States needs to make space resources a priority and develop a national strategy or risk being left in the proverbial ‘ash heap’ of history by the Chinese," added Mecum.
Although Gosar sees space exploration as a perfect opportunity to escape government regulations, this could change one day. As space exploration becomes more common place, so will laws and regulations governing activities like space mining.
