THE BUSINESS OF OUTER SPACE: From mining on asteroids to hotels in orbit, Fred Watson briefs us on the economy that's out of this world

摘要

I WONDER IF you've heard of a gentleman named Dennis M. Hope, of Gardnerville, Nevada? This former ventriloquist, actor and shoe salesman has occasionally made the headlines - most recently in the New York Times - because of his claim to be the rightful owner of the Moon. I [e's also made a —successful living over 30-odd years by doling out portions of its surface to clients who take their deeds of lunar property very seriously - despite the fine print making it clear that they are "novelty items".This echoes another famous claim to ownership of a celestial body: the assertion that near-Earth asteroid Eros is the property of a Mr Gregory W Nemitz of Twin Falls, Idaho. When NASA landed its NEAR Shoemaker probe on Eros in 2001, he sent them a $20 parking fine. NASA contested the account and, after a lengthy legal process, the case was dismissed on the grounds of Mr Nemitz's inability to prove he owned the asteroid.