LAWYERS on Thursday in Cologne, Germany, began debating the legal ownership of the moon and how to extend earthly laws into outer space.

The conference, hosted by the University of Cologne's Institute of Aerospace Law, with the theme, "Who owns the Moon,” was being attended by 100 legal experts.

The experts said legal tussles are inevitable as more and more space vehicles head for the moon.

Stephan Hobe, Director of the Institute, said among other topics to be discussed was whether anyone is legally entitled to mine minerals on the moon and planets.

He said active satellites were at growing threat of colliding with space junk, including dead satellites and loose debris.

"The junk orbits the earth at high speed and out of control. Yet the international community had shown little willingness to pay the enormous costs of bringing the junk out of orbit," he said.

Bernhard Schmidt-Tedd, of the German Aerospace Centre DLR, said a growing problem was a trend to low-cost microsatellites which meant more and more satellites going up, often in swarms.

"Traffic rules exist on land, in the air and at sea, but not in space.

It is time to make those rules," he said.

Experts said it might become possible in future to sue for damages if a valuable satellite was hit by junk and the originator of the junk can be traced.

http://tribuneonlineng.com/content/lawyers-fierce-debate-over-who-owns-moon

hehehehe...bros lawyers, all those money wey u wan dey waste for space go back debris, pls, bring come naija make we use am build refineries.

[size=20pt]Oyinbo self dey misuse weed [/size]

Na when dem go debate over my golden shiit? The problem is that they really don't have any problem