Sander Grieve writes in Canadian Mining Journal on what the rules of mining in space might look like.

It may not be at Canadian boardroom tables yet, but the federal government has started to turn its policy engine to contemplate conditions in the great unknown—starting with the moon.

In Bill C-19, the legislation that implements the 2022 federal budget, an amendment is included that says, “A Canadian crew member who, during a space flight, commits an act or omission outside Canada that if committed in Canada would constitute an indictable offence is deemed to have committed that act or omission in Canada.”

And in the most recent attempt to regulate the use of space through international treaties, six new countries have signed the NASA-led Artemis Accords so far in 2022, bringing the total number of signatories to 20. Canada is one of the founding eight member countries to sign in October 2020. The Artemis Accords establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration co-operation, including for space resources.