Who Owns the Moon?

While United States astronauts were the first to visit the Moon, this does not mean that the United States owns it.  In fact, under the 1967 Outer Space Treaty no country has a unique ownership in the Moon and all nations are accorded equal rights and access. So if every country shares Earth's only natural satellite, how are rights and obligations between states determined? For example, can permanent stations or bases be built, and how are mineral or water rights allocated? Leading space law expert Professor Frans von der Dunk explains these questions and others in an informative conversation about the legal status of the Moon.

 

 

Frans von der Dunk is a professor of space law at the University of Nebraska College of Law and the Director of Black Holes, a consultancy company for space law and policy.