Etienne Schneider, “the space miner”, occupies twelfth place in the “Politico 28” list, released on 7 December 2017, in recognition of his efforts to turn Luxembourg in “an outer space powerhouse”.
The political publication explained that Schneider’s interest in the sector began shortly after he first became a minister in 2012 when he met with Nasa researchers. “I was wondering what they smoked before meeting me,” he was quoted as saying.
Earlier this year Luxembourg passed draft legislation enabling companies to keep space resources from near-Earth objects.
The country is expanding its space sector by welcoming various startups and firms active in the field and entering into partnerships with local researchers.
Politico also outlined Schneider’s plans to update the UN Outer Space Treaty, first signed in 1967, and clarify mining and resource rights.
This article has been amended. A previous version suggested the Politico 28 was a global rather than a European list.
