Who owns an asteroid? Who has the right to mine and utilize resources that humans can take from space? The legal implications of questions like these are complex, and the issues do not all have clear answers. To answer these questions, law from a variety of sources will be examined.
In the process of researching these topics, it became apparent that there is little to no regulation in this area as of yet. While it is sure to be of much interest in the coming years, the legal implications of mining in space is still up to much speculation. The legal regime of space mining is pulled from general international space law but currently is not conclusive. Through the exploration of various laws and policies, it can be concluded the international legal bodies of law are unclear or vague on a variety of issues with great legal importance.