The government of Luxembourg is moving forward with an by passing Thursday a law that defines the conditions companies must fulfill to obtain聽a licence for launching a space mining mission.
The bill, approved by a vast majority (55 votes against only two), makes the tiny nation the first European country to offer a legal framework ensuring private capitals their rights over resources they mine in space, .
The legislation, over 18 months in the works, is part of Luxembourg鈥檚聽聽initiative, which goal is to boost exploration and the commercial utilization of resources from near earth objects, such as asteroids.
Before trying to become Europe鈥檚 hub for space mining, Luxembourg already had a long-standing space industry, which has played a significant role in the development of satellite communications.
The legislation, over 18 months in the works,聽defines the conditions companies must fulfill to get a licence for launching a space mining mission.
Luxembourg, one of the euro zone鈥檚 wealthiest countries, had been studying a possible involvement in the emerging space mining industry since 2013. But only in February last year it to promote the mining of asteroids for minerals.
A few months later, the government reached an聽, Deep Space Industries, which will be conducting missions to prospect for water and minerals in outer space. Both parties are currently developing Prospector-X, a聽聽that test technologies for prospecting and mining near Earth asteroids聽after 2020.
Weeks later, in June last year, the nation聽聽($228 million at today鈥檚 rates) line of credit for entrepreneurial space companies to set up their European headquarters within its borders.
And in November, it聽 in a deal worth $28 million (鈧�25 million at the time).聽The goal of the investment聽is to help the Redmond, Washington-based firm launch its first commercial asteroid prospecting mission by 2020.
Luxembourg鈥檚 approval of space mining legislation follows a similar move by former US President Barack Obama, who in 2015聽聽mined in space.
But the only international legal body available dates back to 1967. The聽, signed by the US, Russia and a number of other countries, says that nations can鈥檛 occupy nor own territory in space.
鈥淥uter space shall be free for exploration and use by all States,鈥� the treaty says, adding that 鈥渙uter space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means.鈥�
Geologists believe asteroids are packed with iron ore, nickel and precious metals at much higher concentrations than those found on Earth, making up a market valued聽.
Some asteroids are packed with minerals valued in the trillions of dollars. (Image by )