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Asteroid auctions

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NASA (or esa for that matter) should auction off individual asteroids as a way of raising money for ongoing manned space exploration. For your money you get exclusive mining rights for a period of 500 years. I know that NASA does not own the asteroids, but they own access to them which is the next best thing. Could be mountains of gold out there for some lucky speculator

—	simonj, May 31 2010

Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies http://www.unoosa.o...n/FAQ/splawfaq.html
[mouseposture, May 31 2010]

[link]

Only if you an un-natural person: " The Moon Agreement expands on these provisions by stating that neither the surface nor the subsurface of the Moon (or other celestial bodies in the solar system), nor any part thereof or natural resources in place, shall become property of any State, international intergovernmental or non-governmental organization, national organization or non- governmental entity or of any natural person."

—	Ling, May 31 2010

Neither NASA nor ESA nor any other agency own access to space, in either the legal or the technological/organizational sense you are implying.

—	BunsenHoneydew, May 31 2010

Yes. Nobody is stopping the companies that make money by selling the "right" to name stars. NASA should get in on the action to raise funds for the trip to Mars.

—	swimswim, May 31 2010

//For your money you get exclusive mining rights for a period of 500 years.//

Make it 50 years and all those secret levitation devices will come out of the closet.

—	ldischler, May 31 2010

Make it 50 minutes, and the buyers get bragging rights--"Yes, I used to own an asteroid, don't you know, but I sold it off . . ."

If you did it right, the mugs could buy the asteroid for a certain amount, paying broker's fees, then sell it back for a slightly higher amount, again paying brokers fees--" . . . at a profit, old boy, at a profit."

—	baconbrain, May 31 2010

Perhaps you would be interested in options on futures on options on asteroids. Hey its happening here already...only not with asteroids, but with another equally unobtainable source, equity.

—	4whom, May 31 2010

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