How does land ownership work on the Moon?
In: Other
The United Nations Outer Space Treaty (1967) forbids nations from claiming territory on the Moon or any other celestial body describing the Moon as a ‘province of all mankind’.
So the US for example by treaty agrees that it can’t claim the Moon or part of it as sovereign US territory despite having planted a flag on it. This will change eventually when lunar travel is frequent and easier and things like permanent bases and mining settlements become possible. By this point new laws and international agreements will have to be written.
The treaty places no such limitations on private ownership, but schemes to sell Lunar land claims are dubious at best.
Having a piece of paper that claims you own a 100 acres of the Lunar surface is highly unlikely to hold up in any international court. You essentially have to physically go to the Moon to stake a proper claim.
Latest Answers