This week, the U.S. House brought in proposals from a Florida congressman to offer more opportunities for the private sector in space--namely expanding access to asteroids--and incorporated them into a bill from U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
Components of U.S. Rep. Bill Posey’s, R-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer’s, D-Wash., “Space Resource Exploration and Utilization Act of 2015” were included in Cruz’s and McCarthy’s legislation which cleared the House. Posey’s and Kilmer’s proposal aims to protect American companies’ rights to obtain property and gather resources from space and ensures the White House coordinates efforts as businesses plan to obtain resources from asteroids.
“I am pleased to see this bipartisan, bicameral legislation move forward as a part of this historic space legislation,” Posey said. “Asteroids and other celestial bodies are excellent potential sources of highly valuable resources and minerals. Space technology has advanced to the point that the private sector is now able to begin exploring and developing resources in space. Americans are willing to invest in asteroid mining, but they need legal certainty that they can keep the fruits of their labor.”
Posey’s proposal to cut down on regulations to encourage the private sector to explore opportunities in space was also included in the legislation from Cruz and McCarthy.
“By streamlining the regulatory process, the SPACE Act can cut costs to both the federal government and commercial companies, make U.S. companies more competitive in the global marketplace, and attract more commercial launches to Florida,” said Posey.
Posey and Kilmer had teamed up last year to push a proposal allowing companies access to asteroids.
“We may be many years away from successfully mining an asteroid, but the research to turn this from science fiction into reality is being done today,” said Kilmer last May when he and Posey first unveiled their proposal. “Businesses in Washington state and elsewhere are investing in this opportunity, but in order to grow and create more jobs they need greater certainty. Thats why I’m excited to introduce this bill with Rep. Posey so we can help the United States access new supplies of critical rare metals while serving as a launch pad for a growing industry.”
Cruz’s bill passed the Senate last week and the House passed McCarthy’s proposal on Monday.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
