. 24/7 Space News .
SPACE TRAVEL
Trump's Privatized ISS 'Not Impossible,' but Would Require 'Renegotiation'
by Staff Writers
Moscow (Sputnik) Feb 16, 2018

might help to have your own transport first ...

US President Donald Trump wants to privatize the International Space Station, looking to turn the station into an orbiting real estate venture run not by the government, but by private industry. Radio Sputnik discussed plans to privatize the space station with Frans von der Dunk, professor of space law at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

According to the Washington Post report, Trump wants to turn the station into a "kind of orbiting real estate venture run not by the government, but by private industry."

The White House reportedly plans to request $150 million "to enable the development and maturation of commercial entities and capabilities, which will ensure that commercial successors to the station are operational when they are needed."

The ISS costs up to $4 billion a year and the US federal government has already spent nearly $100 billion over more than a decade to keep it up and running, according to Popular Mechanics.

Talking to Radio Sputnik, von der Dunk noted that a proper reaction to Trump's statement should be based on a precise understanding of the word "privatization." He noted that the ISS has been built based on a number of international treaties and one cannot simply dodge these agreements, let alone attempt to privatize the whole station.

"For starters, part of the space station is actually not American, but Russian, European, Canadian and Japanese," he said.

If, instead of NASA, a private contractor is to take over the US-owned parts of the ISS, this would be a "fundamental change" that "would at least require renegotiation of the space station agreement," says von der Dunk.

"It's not totally impossible, but it does require a set of fundamental steps," he added.

The ISS is riddled with negotiations of various scales: for example, von der Dunk says, if Russia needs to attach something to the space station, it has to consult with all the partners, if for no other reason than to make sure that all parts of the station run on the same voltage of electricity.

However, the idea that the US as a state would one day stop participating in the fate of the ISS actually emerged under Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama. Concerns that the US would cut funding of its part of the station made other partners consider how to deal with that possibility, von der Dunk says.

For Europeans, it is extremely desirable that the US continues to invest in the station. If the US government decided to abandon this venture, switching to the private sector would be a welcome option, he explains.

From a legal point of view, US law does not prohibit private enterprises in outer space. However, the law demands that the state continue to exercise supervision and control over private space companies. And, per a rather special quirk of space law, the government also takes responsibility for any damage inflicted by private contractors that operate within US jurisdiction.

Thus, von der Dunk explains, even if some space company inflicts damage to the ISS, it will be the US of A that will pay the space station compensation.

According to von der Dunk, this would require the state to set up a licensing system that would ensure that those private company will, in their turn, pay fees to the US Treasury. With such a system in place, the operation of private contractors on the ISS could actually be possible, von der Dunk concludes.

Source: Sputnik News


Related Links
station at NASA
Shuttle at NASA
Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


SPACE TRAVEL
US wants to privatize International Space Station: report
Washington (AFP) Feb 11, 2018
Could the International Space Station become a commercial venture run by private industry? That is the wish of the White House, which hopes to end funding for the costly program within a few years, The Washington Post reported Sunday. The US plan, the paper said, involves privatizing the ISS, a low-orbit space station piloted by the US space agency NASA and developed jointly with its Russian counterpart. The station has allowed international crews - notably in collaboration with the Canadi ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

SPACE TRAVEL
All-in-one service for the Space Station

NASA's Continued Focus on Returning U.S. Human Spaceflight Launches

NASA Acting Administrator's Statement on FY 2019 Budget Proposal

US wants to privatize International Space Station: report

SPACE TRAVEL
Russia launches cargo spacecraft after aborted liftoff

Soyuz launch to resupply ISS aborted seconds before liftoff

What's next for SpaceX?

Elon Musk, visionary Tesla and SpaceX founder

SPACE TRAVEL
Mars Opportunity Rover Energy Levels Improve

A Piece of Mars is Going Home

Danish architect envisions life on Mars

Leaky Atmosphere Linked To Lightweight Planet

SPACE TRAVEL
Chinese taikonauts maintain indomitable spirit in space exploration: senior officer

China launches first shared education satellite

China's first X-ray space telescope put into service after in-orbit tests

China's first successful lunar laser ranging accomplished

SPACE TRAVEL
Airbus and human spaceflight: from Spacelab to Orion

Iridium Announces First Land-Mobile Service Providers for Iridium Certus

2018 in Space - Progress and Promise

UK companies seek cooperation with Russia in space technologies

SPACE TRAVEL
Raytheon to upgrade radar systems in Hornet aircraft

Self-Driving Servicer Now Baselined for NASA's Restore-L Satellite-Servicing Demonstration

A new radiation detector made from graphene

Super wood could replace steel

SPACE TRAVEL
Deep-sea fish use hydrothermal vents to incubate eggs

'Oumuamua has been tumbling about the galaxy for a billion years

UChicago astrophysicists settle cosmic debate on magnetism of planets and stars

Viruses are falling from the sky

SPACE TRAVEL
New Horizons captures record-breaking images in the Kuiper Belt

Europa and Other Planetary Bodies May Have Extremely Low-Density Surfaces

JUICE ground control gets green light to start development

New Year 2019 offers new horizons at MU69 flyby









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.