Who owns the Moon?
Planting a flag, owning a lander, and claiming the ground beneath it are different legal acts. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty separates national territorial claims from jurisdiction and ownership involving launched objects.
Questions you could explore
- Why might owning a spacecraft differ from claiming the lunar land beneath it?
Start reading
- United Nations Treaty Series, volume 610, No. 8843Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies
Read the treaty’s actual distinctions between national appropriation, state responsibility, and jurisdiction and ownership of space objects.
Ready to try your ideas aloud?
Your topic carries over. Record up to 2½ minutes, depending on your plan.