Open the space frontier. (Scan).(Brief Article)

Mankind seems further than ever from exploring other worlds. Launching payloads into space remains prohibitively expensive, ensuring that, except for communications satellites, space remains a place shunned by private enterprise.

The Cato Institute recently brought together entrepreneurs, lawyers, aerospace executives, and space enthusiasts to discuss ways to make space more accessible to businesses. Some of their suggestions:

* Establish the rule of law. The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 states that space is "the common heritage of mankind" and bars nations from establishing colonies on other planets. It's unlikely private firms will invest much in space under those socialistic terms. Space lawyer James Dunstan notes that although satellites do not own the areas in which they orbit, international treaties have established a quasi-property right that enables thousands of satellites to coexist peacefully. Moreover, the inside of a building you create in space is your property. These sorts of protections need to be expanded.

* Establish a prize. When Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic in 1927, he wasn't just a glory seeker; he wanted the $25,000 promised to the first nonstop flight between New York and Paris. Gregg Maryniak of the X Prize Foundation hopes a similar advance in space exploration could come about with the establishment of his group's $10 million award for the first private company that flies "a reusable three-person spacecraft to 100 kilometers" above sea level twice in a two-week span. Currently, 21 teams are competing.

* Limit government's role. For the past 40 years, NASA has been the primary developer of U.S. spacecraft, with a legal monopoly on U.S. launches until the Challenger ...