There are a couple of companies selling land on the moon, e.g. Lunar Land:
Image Source
From their FAQ:
The UN Outer Space Treaty of 1967 stipulated that no government could
own extraterrestrial property. However, it neglected to mention
individuals and corporations.
Therefore, under laws dating back from
early US settlers, it is possible to stake a claim for land that has
been surveyed and register it with the US Government Office of Claim
Registries.
From BBC News (2007):
From his office in Nevada, entrepreneur Dennis Hope has spawned a
multi-million-dollar property business selling plots of lunar real
estate at $20 (£10) an acre.
Mr Hope exploited a loophole in the 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty and he
has been claiming ownership of the Earth's Moon - and seven planets
and their moons - for more than 20 years.
Buyers include Hollywood stars, large corporations - including the
Hilton and Marriot hotel chains - and even former US presidents Ronald
Reagan and Jimmy Carter. George W Bush is also said to be a stake
holder.
My question:
What's the legitimacy of these lunar real estate sales Dennis Hope and other companies offer?''
It would have been much easier and cheaper if they had claimed ownership of the atoms of the table of elements. Wait, we already do just that with gold.
