In 1862, during the era of westward expansion in the United States, there was the Homestead Act. The Homestead Act allowed individuals to claim land by settling on and cultivating it. Those who resided on unclaimed land for five years were granted ownership of up to 160 acres, incentivizing migration to the West. Even formerly enslaved individuals could obtain their own land through the Homestead Act, leading to 1.6 million independent farmers on 10% of the total area of the United States.
The "Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act" enacted in 2015 is the space version of the Homestead Act. While outer space cannot be owned, this law allows companies to extract and own resources mined from space, granting private enterprises rights to space mineral extraction. The Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act has spurred vigorous participation from American companies like Tesla and Amazon in the space resource race.
Elon Musk continues to conduct launch experiments with the large-scale spacecraft, Starship, through his space company SpaceX. Starship, designed to transport people and cargo to Mars, stands at a towering height of 122 meters, taller than the Statue of Liberty. It comprises a 50-meter Starship atop a 70-meter Super Heavy, forming a two-stage rocket. The Super Heavy boasts twice the power of NASA's strongest rocket, the SLS, making it the most powerful launch vehicle in history. With accommodations including cabins, a dining area, and even entertainment facilities like movie theaters, Starship aims to carry 80 to 120 people to Mars, facilitating long-duration voyages. While Super Heavy assists in Earth departure, Starship is designed to autonomously launch from Mars using its own propulsion for the return journey, enabling round-trip rocketry. Starship's focus is currently on lunar landings rather than Mars missions.
In the competition for lunar lander contracts under NASA's Artemis program, Starship prevailed over Blue Origin. With a bid price of $2.9 billion compared to Blue Origin's $6 billion, Starship's selection was expected. The lunar landers of today vastly differ from the Apollo spacecraft of the past; they are not small but rather substantial, with 50-meter structures descending to the lunar surface.
Development of Starship tankers is also underway. These tankers aim to refuel in space, with a goal of refilling up to 1,900 tons of propellant for orbital refueling, targeting 100 launches per spacecraft for reusability. Given the diverse objectives, Starship is being developed in various models.
China has shown intentions to weaponize rare earth minerals in trade disputes with the United States. The U.S. remains optimistic about space development. With abundant rare earth deposits on the lunar surface, NASA aims to establish a lunar resource supply chain. The primary objective of the Artemis lunar exploration program, launched in November 2022, is to mine lunar regolith for rare earth minerals.
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