Who owns the Moon? At the moment - NO ONE -

I received an e-mail from Steve Durst, which was probably prompted by my two comments below that may have implied you could own a piece of the Moon.
That isn't what the current treaties say. If you want to lay claim to the Moon or an asteroid you might want check what you can do with them.
Your venture capitalist had better check what is being said about Space Law as well.
- LRK -

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I hope someone will go to the Moon, dig into some regolith, and open up a Real Estate Office.
[Or go up and see if they can claim the lunar plot they already bought.]
[ http://www.lunarlandowner.com/lunar_city_project.htm ]
- LRK -
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and
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If any of you have already purchased your lunar lot with a view, demand access rights.
When does the next shuttle flight leave for the Moon?
- LRK -
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Steve supplied this link to the April Astronautical News.
http://www.iafastro.com/newsletter/200904newsletter.pdf

On page 2 of the news letter is this paragraph and link.
- LRK -
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http://www.iislweb.org/html/20090322_news.html
IISL issues statement about lunar real estate The Board of International Institute of Space Law said that it is important to preserve outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, for the exploration and use of all humanity, not only for those States and private enterprises that are capable of doing so at any particular time.
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Here is the statement and some more links in it.
- LRK -

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Statement of the Board of Directors of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL)
22 March 2009
In 2004, the Board of Directors of the IISL, an international non-governmental organisation, issued a statement relating to the issue of 'property rights' in outer space. The statement can be found on the website of the IISL, at http://www.iislweb.org/publications.html.

In view of recent misleading views and discussions on this subject in the press, the Board considers that it is appropriate to further clarify a number of salient points as follows:
International Law establishes a number of unambiguous principles, according to which the exploration and use of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is permitted for the benefit of mankind, but any purported attempt to claim ownership of any part of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, or authorisation of such claims by national legislation, is forbidden as following from the explicit prohibition of appropriation, and consequently is prohibited and unlawful. Since there is no territorial jurisdiction in outer space or on celestial bodies, there can be no private ownership of parts thereof, as this would presuppose the existence of a territorial sovereign competent to confer such titles of ownership.

The current international legal regime is binding both on States and, through the precise wording of Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which has been ratified by 100 countries, including all the space-faring countries, also on non-governmental entities, i.e. individuals, legal persons and private companies. The clear goal of such a regime is to preserve outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, for the exploration and use of all mankind, not only for those States and private enterprises that are capable of doing so at any particular time.

At present, international space legislation does not include detailed provisions with regard to the exploitation of natural resources of outer space, the Moon and other celestial bodies, although it does set down a general framework for the conduct of all space activities, including those of private persons and companies, with respect to such natural resources.

The IISL is of the opinion that a specific legal regime for the exploitation of such resources should be elaborated through the United Nations, on the basis of present international space law, for the purposes of clarity and legal certainty in the near future. The IISL will continue to play an active role in any such discussions as they develop.

PDF version
http://www.iislweb.org/docs/Statement%20BoD.pdf

The Board of Directors of the IISL comprises specialists in space law from all continents and various backgrounds, including past and present chairmen of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) and its Legal Subcommittee. This Statement is based on a proposal from the members of the IISL Directorate of Studies. The views expressed in this Statement represent a consensus among the Members of the IISL Board of Directors acting in their personal capacity, and do not necessarily reflect the views of any entities with which they may be affiliated.
Copyright 2009 © IISL. All rights reserved.
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What is IISL?
- LRK -
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http://www.iislweb.org/
Defining the principles governing outer space activities

Space law is an area of the law that encompasses national and international law governing activities in outer space.
The International Institute of Space Law (IISL) was founded in 1960. The purposes and objectives of the Institute include the cooperation with appropriate international organisations and national institutions in the field of space law and the carrying out of tasks for fostering the development of space law.
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Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
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