A Framework for Extraterrestrial Environmental Assessment

Kramer, William R.

doi:10.1016/j.spacepol.2020.101385

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…However, these polar regions are incredibly sensitive environments and such resource extraction and even just initial reconnaissance ahead of extraction operations may have externalities which damage local environments from both a scientific and future resource extraction perspective. Government (NASA, 2011) and other stakeholders (Kramer, 2020; Matthews & McMahon, 2018) have recognized this threat and have offered a range of recommendations of how to mitigate such risks (Crawford et al., 2022). The ability to explore and ascertain ISRU potential of lunar PSRs with a reduced environmental footprint is thus critical for sustainable future exploration of the Moon.…”

Section: Capturing Key Processes On the Moonmentioning

confidence: 99%

In Situ Optimized Substrate Witness Plates: Ground Truth for Key Processes on the Moon and Other Planets

Saxena,

Morrissey,

Killen

et al. 2023

Earth and Space Science

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Future exploration efforts of the Moon, Mars, and other bodies are poised to focus heavily on persistent and sustainable survey and research efforts, especially given the recent interest in a long‐term sustainable human presence at the Moon. Key to these efforts understands a number of important processes on the lunar surface for both scientific and operational purposes. We discuss the potential value of in situ artificial substrate witness plates, powerful tools that can supplement familiar remote sensing and sample acquisition techniques and provide a sustainable way of monitoring processes in key locations on planetary surfaces while maintaining a low environmental footprint. These tools, which we call Biscuits, can use customized materials as wide ranging as zircon‐based spray coatings to metals potentially useable for surface structures, to target specific processes/questions as part of a small, passive witness plate that can be flexibly placed with respect to location and total time duration. We examine and discuss unique case studies to show how processes such as water presence/transport, presence and contamination of biologically relevant molecules, solar activity related effects, and other processes can be measured using Biscuits. Biscuits can yield key location sensitive, time integrated measurements on these processes to inform scientific understanding of the Moon and enable operational goals in lunar exploration. While we specifically demonstrate this on a simulated traverse and for selected examples, we stress all groups interested in planetary surfaces should consider these adaptable, low footprint, and highly informative tools for future exploration.

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Section: Capturing Key Processes On the Moonmentioning

confidence: 99%

In Situ Optimized Substrate Witness Plates: Ground Truth for Key Processes on the Moon and Other Planets

Saxena,

Morrissey,

Killen

et al. 2023

Earth and Space Science

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“…Another area, the Sustainable Reserve, will allow commerce and industry while resembling a true baseline ecology. Environmental impact statements, such as those that the space ethicist William R. Kramer insists be a part of all lunar activities [41][42][43], can help to determine places with the Sustainable Reserve areas.…”

Section: Multizoned For Many Usesmentioning

confidence: 99%

What Should We Do with Our Moon?: Ethics and Policy for Establishing International Multiuse Lunar Land Reserves

Capper

2022

Space Policy

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“…The same may apply for access regulation for reducing space pollution, for instance through debris, the nuclear power sources of spacecraft or pollution associated with specific mining techniques (Tan, 2000). Consistent with broader principles of international environmental law, authorization decisions for mining projects could, for instance, require prior impact assessments (Kramer, 2020). Both the PGRFA and the DSM regime highlight how access regulation thus fulfills a double purpose: contributing to subsequent benefit-sharing as well as to conservation and sustainable resource use.…”

Section: Accessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, for most adverse impacts that might result during the transit of mining vessels, the 1971 Space Liability Convention imposes absolute liability on states, including for private vessels launched from within their respective territories, which also highlights how an NEA regime might interface with other parts of space law (Morin & Richard, 2021). Considering the differences between the terrestrial environment and space, a specialized framework for EIA would contribute to the reduction of harmful effects (Kramer, 2020).…”

Section: Compliancementioning

confidence: 99%

Sharing the Benefits of Asteroid Mining

Butkevičienė

Rabitz

2022

Global Policy

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Near‐Earth asteroids (NEAs) hold metal reserves that could sustain global consumption for millennia. Unresolved questions of technological and economic feasibility notwithstanding, NEA mining could ensure the accessibility and affordability of key strategic resources, contribute to sustainability transitions and displace environmentally and socially harmful terrestrial mining. Based on implicit and explicit normative commitments towards the common heritage principle in international space law, we develop the outlines of a regime for the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits resulting from NEA mining. For doing so, we analyze the linkages between institutional design and regime effectiveness for benefit‐sharing regimes in the areas of deep‐sea mining and plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. Attempting to control for differences in problem structure, we transpose this analysis to the case of NEA mining, where an effective benefit‐sharing regime would revolve around the following elements: standardized exploration and exploitation contracts, back‐end benefit‐sharing as a percentage of commercial profits, research exemptions, compliance mechanisms for preventing and reducing space pollution, as well as a reserve banking system for mining claims. For the contemporary political debate on space resources, we thus aim to provide a feasible alternative to the exclusive appropriation of space resources through private property rights.

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A Framework for Extraterrestrial Environmental Assessment

Cited by 9 publications

References 10 publications

In Situ Optimized Substrate Witness Plates: Ground Truth for Key Processes on the Moon and Other Planets

In Situ Optimized Substrate Witness Plates: Ground Truth for Key Processes on the Moon and Other Planets

What Should We Do with Our Moon?: Ethics and Policy for Establishing International Multiuse Lunar Land Reserves

Sharing the Benefits of Asteroid Mining

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