The order, titled “Encouraging International Support for the Recovery and Use of Space Resources,” calls for an international effort to determine how we should all divvy up outer space. On the surface that sounds like a good idea. The US is on the verge of setting up a permanent Moon base and now seems like a great time to sort out the economical and financial logistics. Per a White House statement describing the order: The above part seems fine. The next part gets a bit spooky though: That last part “consistent with applicable law,” is the interesting bit. The Moon Treaty of 1979 predicted this sort of run on resources. It says that an international committee should be convened to sort out the specific issues of territory and resources beyond the Earth. But the US never agreed to it. It’s current stance, per the White House statement, is: The executive order specifically refutes the 1979 Moon Treaty: This is US nationalism in outer space. And, perhaps, the most ambitious attempt by a political party to exploit government agency for individual, personal profits. This is evidenced in the final passage in the statement: In a statement to Reuters, Russian space agency Roscomos levied accusations of expansionism at the US President, saying his efforts would hinder diplomacy: It’s obvious that Trump’s setting the stage for a “gold rush” on the Moon and other territories in space. Unfortunately, only a handful of countries are in a position to compete for the right to draw their own extra-terrestrial borders. And, arguably, none so perfectly perched as the US to swoop in and take whatever it wants.
