An Introduction

I began this blog to develop some thoughts that I have had regarding the implications of current legal theories when extended to the realm of outer space. As the name of the blog suggests, I believe that like the bygone era of the Wild West, outer space will one day be brought within the jurisdiction of man and his laws. Or perhaps it would be more appropriate to say that the momentum of man towards the far reaches of the solar system and beyond will one day allow us to enforce our own brand of justice on all operate in our sphere of influence. This expansion of our own jurisdiction will require development of the laws and precedents that exist in our current legal systems to meet the unique conditions of outer space.

I have always been interested in outer space, but the special legal implications have captivated me lately as I have entered into my second year of law school. Don't misunderstand me: so far I don't think any of my professors would want to float anywhere near these topics in a serious class discussion. But part of the beauty of out particular place in history is that these subjects are largely the territory of the dreamer, the nerd, and perhaps a neurotic legal scholar or two.

I intend to begin by exploring the current laws and treaties that govern man's use of the area surrounding the Earth and the Moon. Once we (yes, I am hoping that at least one other person will read this) once WE have a firm footing in terms of the current laws, I will take a law-school approach to Galactic Law. We will begin with the extension of current property law principles into the realm of outer space. We will similarly bring in torts, contracts, criminal law, and, possibly, constitutional law. Can you own a piece of three-dimensional space if the space itself is technically expanding with every passing second? How can you have a meeting of the minds over several light years when the transfer of information is limited by the speed of light and can take months or years to reach the other person? These are the types of questions I hope to explore in this blog in the coming months.