Main content

How Do We Rule The Universe?

The majority of space launches are commercial enterprises. Space is no longer just the playground of governments but companies that want to mine the moon. But is this legal?

Governing moon miners, asteroid hunters and space junk sounds pretty tricky, but we better get our act together. This year the majority of space launches included commercial enterprises. Space is no longer just the playground of governments but companies; companies that want to mine the moon for water that they could sell as rocket fuel, companies that want to mine the moon for helium -3 which could be sold and used as energy back on earth and companies that want to mine asteroids for platinum that they could sell for huge profits. But is this legal?

Release date:

Available now

24 minutes

Stargazing

Dava Sobel explores our fascination with the cosmos, from Copernicus to recent innovation

The Space Collection

Astronauts, moon walks and surviving in space

The Space Archive

Innovation, the space race and the first heroes to boldly go

Podcast