Is It Legal To Own
Property On The Moon?
In the 1960s, the United Nations set forth a plan to
protect the Moon and all outer space from exploitation by nations
that would seek to claim extraterrestrial bodies in their own name.
The first agreement, entered into force on October 10, 1967, bore
the breath-taking title "Treaty On Principles Governing The
Activities Of States In The Exploration And Use Of Outer Space,
Including The Moon And Other Celestial Bodies," which became more
commonly known as "The 1967 Moon Treaty."
Under its provisions, no nation on Earth, nor any
individual or commercial enterprise, would be permitted to claim the
Moon as its own property. A dozen years later, the United Nations
expanded on this original treaty with its Moon Agreement (adopted by
consensus of all UN Member-States in 1967; ratified into law on 11
July 1984). It continues to provide the foundation for how Earth's
nations conduct themselves in space.
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"States Parties to this
Agreement hereby
undertake to establish
an international
regime, including
appropriate
procedures, to govern
the exploitation of the
natural resources of
the moon as such
exploitation is about
to become feasible."
— The United Nations
Moon Treaty (1979) |
While the Treaty established a set of guidelines for
nations to follow, the debate continued as to who would ultimately
determine the course of future development for the Moon. Ultimately
it became clear to many that those directly involved and most
interested in the mission to explore, colonize and develop the Moon
— scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs and concerned civilians —
should be responsible for determining its future.
How best to do this became a complex challenge, as
various groups around the world organized their projects
independently and set separate courses for designing and building
launch vehicles and planning space habitats.
One point became increasingly evident as the
thrilling era of the Space Race faded: the governments of the major
space-faring nations were no longer willing or interested in
investing the financial resources of their citizens in this costly
pursuit. However, one daunting fact remained to be considered —
Article 11, Paragraph 5, of the 1979 Moon Agreement (see inset at
right), which allows the UN to hand-pick an "international regime"
to govern the Moon, without the benefit of a free election or any
public input regarding the future of Luna.
Faced with this fact and with the member states of
the United Nations legally bound by the directives of the Moon
Agreement, one solution arose that addressed each issue simply and
elegantly.
The solution: the establishment of an independent
and sovereign Lunar Republic, with a government sine terra
elected by its citizen-partners and empowered to create a long-term
plan for the exploration and settlement of the Moon and the
development of its resources. (To read a copy of the original
document proclaiming the creation of the Lunar Republic,
please click here.)
Legally organized as an international business
company (IBC), the Lunar Republic is authorized to operate in more
than 200 countries around the world, including the United States,
Japan, Russia, China, India, Great Britain, Australia, France,
Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden.
Along with the responsibility for guiding the
peaceful occupation and exploration of the Moon and management of
its resources, the government of the Lunar Republic also provides
for the protection and preservation of certain landmarks (including
lunar landing sites and most mountains, valleys and other unique
features) while allowing individual property ownership in certain
areas. Of the nine-billion acres of land that encompass Luna, only
about 100-million acres will be offered for sale — approximately 2%
of the total land available.
Authorized by the Lunar Republic to administer all
facets of lunar land ownership is The Lunar Registry, a division of
MoonProperty.Net, a multi-national corporation with more than two
decades of combined experience in sales, marketing and promotion.
The Lunar Registry handles all aspects of lunar land sales,
including mapping of tracts and lots, preparing documents,
maintaining the ownership database, and handling transfers of
property between owners. All sales are conducted in compliance with
the
Lunar Settlement Initiative, which provides the legal
framework for privatized exploration, settlement and development of
the Moon and its resources.
The central role of The Lunar Registry is to protect
and uphold the private property rights of Lunar land owners, while
also working with other agencies and the government of the Lunar
Republic in developing plans for the settlement of Lunar colonies,
the construction of scientific centers, the promotion of Lunar
tourism, the development of mineral and other resources on the Moon,
and the respectful preservation of the environment, in accordance
with international treaties.
Additional resources:
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