Re: Space questions...

[Kevin C Houston <hous0042@maroon.tc.umn.edu>]

On Tue, 23 Jul 1996, Kelly Starks x7066 MS 10-39 wrote:
> >>Kelly, I'm not sure that Socalist leanings are the real reason for the third
> >>world nations' wanting the space treaty.  It seems to me that the more
> >important
> >>reason, is that they are currently unable to participate in any commercial
> >>exploitation, and want to stall the more developed countries from gaining an
> >>unbreakable foothold.  At least until they (the third world) can be in a
> >position
> >>to catch up.
> 
> No, in the interviews I saw, the U.S. reps said the third world reps
> honestly didn't understand where the U.S. was coming from.  They had all
> agreed on the idea that space and oceans were the common heratige of
> mankind and everyone should get equal access rights.  They just didn't
> understand why the U.S. would think that didn't imply an equal share of the
> profits.
> 
> Eiather way, its not like the first guy out there could claim all the best
> planets.  Much less that the third world could get out their on their own
> in the next century.
> 
So, the US goes to the moon, mines ore, and charges a fortune for it.  
This pays back the high developement cost, and since there is no 
competiton, they make back the startup cost.  after a few years, some 
smaller country decides they want  a piece of the pie.  So they send 
their own mining contingent to the moon, but find that the US can always 
undercharge for the ore, because the startup cost has been paid back.
This is what I was talking about.
Kevin