Guest: Michael Listner. Topics: Space law, ARM & property rights, SpaceX-AF litigation, RD-180 engine & more. Please direct all comments and questions regarding Space Show programs/guest(s) to the Space Show blog, http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments and questions should be relevant to the specific Space Show program. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are a violation of our copyright and are not permitted without prior written consent, even if for your own use. We do not permit the commercial use of Space Show programs or any part thereof, nor do we permit editing, YouTube clips, or clips placed on other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted, but the quote must be cited or referenced using the proper citation format. Contact The Space Show for further information. In addition, please remember that your Amazon purchases can help support The Space Show/OGLF. See www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm. For those listening to archives using live365.com and rating the programs, please email me as to why you assign a specific rating to the show. This will help me bring better programming to the audience. We welcomed Michael Listner back to the program for this update regarding specific space law issues and theories. In the first segment of the this 1 hour 48 minute program, Michael talked about the proposed Asteroid Bill in Congress and how to maybe get some limited property rights for asteroid mining by being able to move a small asteroid as in the NASA ARM project. Michael theorized that if one moves an asteroid, its no longer in its natural orbit and then no longer defined as a celestial body. We spent most of the first segment and a good part of the second segment discussing this theory and why it might work. When asked if it would apply to lunar property rights or other space property rights, Michael was clear that it only applied to a small asteroid that could be moved. He also said it would require an administration to endorse such a plan and that it would be difficult to establish as customary and it would certainly be an uphill effort. BJohn and others sent in email comments about this. As you will hear from BJohn's emails which I read on air, not every thought positively about Michael's idea. Michael also talked about other forms of international agreements being much easier to obtain than treaties. He also said the property rights policy battles would be fought diplomatically. In the second segment, we talked about the SpaceX-US Air Force litigation and the AF Motion to Dismiss. Next, we covered the RD-180 rocket motor issue and Michael noted that a new shipment of RD-180 motors had been received. He also said there was new information suggesting Russia might want to expand the mission time for the ISS (http://www.parabolicarc.com/2014/08/25/russia-agree-iss-extension). Property rights and moving an asteroid came back as a topic in this segment & Michael again talked about treaties which he said were top down in policy making while transparency, etc. was considered bottom up policy making. We talked quite a bit about property rights being US one sided and he said that the Asteroid Bill actually enabled those outside the U.S. to put their projects under U.S. law for U.S protection. We moved on to cubesats and oversight/regulation issues. Near the end, Michael updated us on the Code of Conduct in which there should be another draft emerging in the near future. As the program was drawing to a close, I asked Michael for remaining 2014 legal issues that might get a 2014 resolve. We looked forward to early next year & our guest commented on issues involving Russia, China, and ESA. Please post your comments on TSS blog above. You can reach Michael through me or using the email address he gave out on air as the program was ending.
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