Hello

I'm a new visitor to the site and so far I've come up with one question I have yet to find the answer to, maybe you guys can help me out...

Is it possible to buy land on the moon?

I know there are quite a few firms, like the Lunar Embasy, claiming this is possible, but it all seems like a big joke to me. How could anyone claim ownership of the moon? At any rate does anybody here own a piece of land on the moon? Do you know if this is even possible? Any info you could give would be cool, just seems like a good question to me.

~Atticus

No, you can't. When you buy from the companies claiming to sell you land on the moon, all you are really buying from them is a deed and some official looking paperwork. In other words, it's like buying one of those $1,000,000 bills: neat to own, but only worth the paper it's printed on. If you do a search you should find a number of topics on this.


BTW ~ WELCOME TO THE FORUMS!

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Those companies claim their claims are real. I have my doubts. I talked to a space lawyer who said those claims are clearly in violation of the International Space Treaty, but I am fuzzy on details. I plan on following this up eventually, as these companies are making millions, and if they are fraudulent, I might have some fun with it...

I bought the plot on which the Rover from Apollo 17 is parked. NASA owes me big time for parking fees. And the towing fees if they default on their parking tickets... #-o

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I had no idea they were making much money off of that. Someone really needs to sue them. Or better yet, jail them for fraud.

They're making millions? Hmm, maybe I need to change my line of business! :wink:

The Lagrange points are up for grabs. They could be high rent locations some day.

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Didn't these guys used to name stars or asteroids or something after people for a fee?

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Inspected by #13

I seem to remember learning many years ago that the treaty was done in the UN, in the late 50's. It stated that no nation could claim ownership of any planetary body.

I am trying to remember where I read it, so that I can find the exact legislation. I obviously simplified the legislation, but as I remember that was the gist of the agreement.

Well, they aren't a country, so I'm not sure that the O-S treaty says they can't own the moon. My argument with that is nothing says they DO own the moon except for that doofus who runs the website. They don't own the moon. I wrote the guy an E-mail saying something to that effect once too and he got nice and mad at me. He did answer it in person though.

Probably because he's the company's only employee.

To my understanding it is like the "International Star Registry." Basically a gag gift. Don't laugh, my wife bought me a star instead of the binoculars I asked for. I need to by a pair of binoculars to see my star.

Legally, I though that you couldn't own anything outside of a established country. So Antartica is out as is the moon.

But the ITU does have the international authority to divide orbits in space and lease them to satilite operators. The operators can then sublet these orbits to others (If they do nothing in the lease period, then the country loses them.) Each country is granted only so many orbital slots.

Presumably, another treaty could be created to control the leasing of lunar space.

Somehow, with all the new space programs starting up, I would suspect that Mars and Lunar orbital slots would be more necessary than lunar ground plots. It would stink to find out country XYZ flamed country ABC's space program because the ships dropped into bad orbits. The craft wouldn't even have to crash into one another, going into a less than prime orbit could squash a new space program.

Solphe

edited for bad typos

This of course, will lead to the first incidents of road-rage in space.

BA wrote " space lawyer" - is that like a space ork ony nastier ? lol

YRS - APE

I think I'll sell plots in heaven. I mean, after all, when you get there, you don't want to have to move in with your parents while looking for a place of your own. I can offer a six acre cloudtop plot for only $39.95. I don't think any treaties or laws prevent this.

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Hmmm....Land in heaven...

A possible good idea, of course I'd type real estate in heaven into google first just to be sure that someone didn't beat you to it. I suppose you could always sell plots in hell as well. The final problem being of course the religous fanatic types getting on your case.

~Atticus05

I saw some guy on the New Tom Green show (I think from the Lunar Embassy) that claimed he owned the Moon. Said something about the treaty said countries can't claim the Moon but didn't say anything about people claiming the Moon for themselves.

He claims to have filed the proper paperwork (I have no clue who he filed it with) and so he owns the Moon. He said all of this with a straight face and he seriously seemed to believe it. I guess everyone needs a hobby

I like the hell-plots idea better. Much bigger potential market, considering how tough it is to get to heaven. And if you advertise them as "air-conditioned" they should fly off the shelf! 8)

Yeah...

except as the BA pointed out the lunar embasy has made millions of dollars on this. Sure is a pretty profitible hobby. maybe all the people who buy baseball cards and comic books as an investment have the wrong idea :P

~Atticus05

Yeah this really could have no end...

Imagine this as an add: "Now selling vacation homes in Shangrala!!"

Then put some small type at the bottom: Location of vacation home not given with deed, finding mythical land is sole responsibility of title holder.

I suppose we shouldn't feel to bad about people making money off the stupid. As the saying goes "A fool and his money are soon parted"

~Atticus05

A fool and his money are soon parted, but the increasing complexity of daily life in our civilized world is making fools out of more and more of us. The process of appying for a mortgage, for examples, includes concepts, terms, and procedures that go beyond the typical prospective homeowner's experience. This situation provides many opportunities for unscrupulous people to manipulate the system to their advantage at the expense of the homeowner. In that situation a skilled and trustworthy advisor is recommended -- someone who can be counted on to protect the homeowner's interest and to recognize potential pitfalls.

And so while on the one hand we can abandon the public to the flotsam and jetsam of those who would abuse science and prey on goodwill, concluding that the consequences are the just effects of ignorance and apathy; on the other hand we would do better to help people out from under the yoke of unscrupulous pseudoscientists or lunar real estate barons. By volunteering to set the record straight on the scientific issues in which I have special expertise, I hope to set a precedent that motivates doctors to freely correct medical misconceptions, lawyers to freely steer us clear of legal pitfalls, and so forth. Conspiracy theories are not harmless. One emerges from beneath them either jaded or fooled.

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Clavius Moon Base

I think he wrote to the UN and claimed ownership. I would expect that to be a lot like what the people who own Sealand do. However, while Sealand is a recognized (while rather dishonest in my opinion) nation, the UN never bothered to write this man and tell him that he's nuts. Actually, they probably specifically chose not to talk to him because it sounds like such a joke. He claims that his "claim" on the moon is substantiated by the fact that the UN has had years to tell him that he doesn't own the moon and has not done so... Needless to say I find this doubtful.

This popped up today on yahoo
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...t/lunar_realty

And here is the companies webpage: http://www.lunarrealty.co.nz/core.lasso

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Inspected by #13

I'm not an expert on International Law, but if the UN says a country can't claim the moon, then by extension only the UN can ratify a claim. No individual signs anything at the UN but we are all bound by the Treaties.

Failing to respond to a claim is not the same as agreeing with it.

If you want a nice certificate go ahead, if you want to own something, have a look at it, measure up, check the title deeds and then deal with the seller's lawyer.

I would interpret it like this: if no nation can own the moon, and we are all, or most of us anyways, citizens of a particular nation, meaning a part of said nation, then the law applies to us as well.

Except of course if our guy chooses not to be part of any nation. Then, of course, he should be deported from whatever nation he's currently residing since he chooses not to part of that nation.

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