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Re:US Set to Approve Private Moon Mission by JumpCrisscross on Monday June 06, 2016 @01:11AM (#11844793)
> the United States and the Soviet Union along with a few insignificant states to lend a plurality got together and granted a monopoly on space exploration to nation-states.

International conventions require ships in international waters be flagged. This comes in handy when e.g. a ship needs help or causes trouble. I don't see the extension of this principle to spaceflight as being unreasonable. If Bezos's bird comes down on my house, I'd prefer there exist a venue in which to sue him.

Re:US Set to Approve Private Moon Mission by jessaustin on Monday June 06, 2016 @05:58AM (#11845601)
If Bezos's bird comes down on my house, I'd prefer there exist a venue in which to sue him.

This doesn't seem to have much to do with outer space treaties, unless perhaps your house is on the moon. Assuming that isn't the case, your house is protected by the laws of the nation in which it is located, and perhaps those of other nations as well.

Re:US Set to Approve Private Moon Mission by schrodinger on Monday June 06, 2016 @06:54AM (#11845797)
Presumably to get to space you still have to take off from somewhere on the planet, no?
Re:US Set to Approve Private Moon Mission by Bluestrike2 on Monday June 06, 2016 @07:50AM (#11846036)
Existing legal frameworks would suffice for pretty much anything in-atmosphere. The fact that the rocket is heading into space is largely irrelevant.
Re:US Set to Approve Private Moon Mission by shirro on Monday June 06, 2016 @02:29AM (#11845027)
It would be amusing if a Liberian flagged space ship was the first to land people on Mars.
Re:US Set to Approve Private Moon Mission by pcrh on Monday June 06, 2016 @06:03AM (#11845613)
There's an honest-to-goodness Congolese space program.

https://www.vice.com/read/hows-the-congolese-space-program-d...

Re:US Set to Approve Private Moon Mission by function_seven on Monday June 06, 2016 @02:59AM (#11845106)
Doubly-so, if they used feet, inches, °F, and pounds to do so! It would prove the superiority of our great measurement units :)
Re:US Set to Approve Private Moon Mission by cromulent on Monday June 06, 2016 @03:13AM (#11845145)
I don't think they are "yours", but more so an anachronism from your colonial days ;)
Re:US Set to Approve Private Moon Mission by function_seven on Monday June 06, 2016 @02:01PM (#11848828)
Well shit, nobody else seems to want 'em, so they're "ours" now.
Re:US Set to Approve Private Moon Mission by nameless912 on Monday June 06, 2016 @06:51PM (#11851135)
To add onto this: I know the movie "Gravity" was just a bit of an exaggeration, but a situation whereby two different satellites are competing for the same spot in the sky and collide or otherwise negatively interact with each other is totally possible. If nothing else, there should probably be some international governance when it comes to orbits, positioning, and mission planning to make sure no one interferes with each other.