Who owns the Moon? Who has the monopoly?

     As I said in another article, the Moon is not an important goal for humanity in terms of its colonization. Manned missions with people or not, showed a hostile environment, without atmosphere, gray, with very low and very high temperatures, not just recommended as place to live. But I think it's time we ask ourselves seriously at this times when the technology has advanced: Whose owns the Moon?
     Perhaps there are international treats regarding the colonization of space. For the militarization of space we know that there are treats on the basis of international space law on "The Outer Space Treaty".
The Outer Space Treaty, limits the use of the Moon and other celestial bodies to peaceful purposes and expressly prohibits their use for testing weapons of any kind, conducting military maneuvers, or establishing military bases, installations, and fortifications.

The treaty explicitly forbids any government from claiming a celestial resource such as the Moon or a planet, claiming that they are the Common heritage of mankind. Art. II of the Treaty states that "outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means".
There is also  the Moon Treaty of 1979, which is pretty much the same as The Outer Space Treaty.

     More and more countries send satellites to photograph the Moon's lunar soil. So far, no one opposes these overflight missions, this, until they start to want to build a base there, and will be required to recognize the merit of having a territory there, if  for example they will start doing business with Helium-3 or other resourves we will discover.

     We all know that we can buy land on the Moon, after which you are handed a property certificate. I do not believe anyone or any institution, may sell land on the Moon, because I don't see anyone to have the right now, but I'm sure that will come times when this issue will be widely debated.

      After what criteria will the Moon be divided? It will be taking account of those who first stepped on the Moon? Like Christopher Columbus who discovered America? It is possible that Americans now have a monopoly on the Moon? Moon will be shared to all states, or preferentially, to each state has given its interest in exploring the Moon ?

Is well known that candidates for the United States's presidency, are saying lots of things on their election campaigns. For example, if Newt Gingrich was elected president, americans would have go live on the Moon! He said:  "By the end of my second term, we will have the first permanent base on the Moon and it will be American. Does that mean I'm visionary? You betcha."

Photographer: Me
Optics: Celestron C8-Newtonian reflector telescope, plossl 20mm, 2x Barlow
Mount: CG5 (EQ5)
Device: Sony Ericsson K850i
Filter: No  
Location: Baia Mare, Romania

Posted in: Astronomy news