Moon for sale refers to any one of a number of schemes or plans claiming to allow people to purchase portions of the Moon or other stellar bodies.

Though the schemes vary in detail, they tend to be based on the idea that although the Outer Space Treaty, which entered force in 1967, forbids countries from claiming stellar bodies, there is no such provision forbidding private individuals from doing so.

In reality, the "deeds" have only symbolic or novelty value, and no official governing body in the world has yet granted any legal validity to them, or is likely to.

Further restricting such claims is the fact that to prevent wanton claiming of new-found lands, many states and countries have corollaries to their real estate and property laws stating that a simple claim to the territory is not enough, the claimant must also demonstrate "intent to occupy," something that at this time, is difficult to do with other planets.

Lunar Embassy

Possibly the most famous of these "lunar realtors" is Dennis Hope, who has set up websites called Lunar Embassy and MoonEstates.com to allow the purchase of one-acre (4,000 m²) tracts on the Moon. Purchasers can receive an official-looking title deed and a map of the Moon showing the location of their particular plot.

Hope states that he has filed claims with the United Nations regarding his ownership of not only the Moon, but also all other planets and bodies of the solar system. However, legal experts - both for the UN and other entities - have ruled in the past that the Moon is considered res communis , the same legal concept governing international waters, which means that everyone owns it. Regardless of his filing, the UN does not recognize Hope’s actions as binding and considers his deeds a harmless novelty.

External links

• Lunar Embassy
• MoonEstates.com
• "Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies"