Land on the moon?

[Charleythejanitor]

I read today that 300 million people have bought land on the moon.Has anyone here done that.

Thanks ahead of time

[Keeve]

Not me. Nor anyone that I know, as far as I’m aware. Where did you read that?

[Der_Trihs]

<googles>

Whoa. The numbers may be off but apparently people actually do that.

Williams, who describes himself as the “Lunar Ambassador to the United Kingdom,” is the owner of MoonEstates. He claims to have sold around 300,000 acres of moon land since he and his wife, Sue, founded the Cornwall-based company eight years ago. One-acre plots of lunar turf go for about $40.

As proof of purchase, new property owners receive a silver tin containing a personalized “Lunar Deed” and a moon map with a tiny black X marking their tract’s approximate location. Most of the land Williams sells is in the northwest, in an area known as Oceanus Procellarum, or Ocean of Storms – a desolate lava plain formed by volcanoes billions of years ago. “I know the Japanese are [selling] further east,” he said.

Williams received his license to sell lunar land in the UK from Dennis Hope. In 1980, the Nevada-based entrepreneur claimed ownership of the moon after finding what he calls a loophole in the 1967 United Nations Outer Space Treaty, which forbids countries from owning the moon but, according to Hope, does not forbid individuals from owning it.

Hope, who estimates he has sold over 500 million acres of moon land, said he immediately filed a “declaration of ownership” with the U.N. along with the United States and Russian governments.

It sounds like those guys who “unofficially” (aka it doesn’t mean anything) sell people the names to stars.

[DrFidelius]

@Charleythejanitor

I read today that 300 million people have bought land on the moon.Has anyone here done that.

Thanks ahead of time

I didn’t purchase from anyone, but I still I believe my claim to the areas surrounding my secret base are more supportable than any “deed” sold as a novelty. I have lasers.

[Crazyhorse]

I wouldn’t make any big internet purchases on such a premise. Not unless you are guaranteed in writing to be granted the title of “Lunar Laird” immediately upon receipt of your payment. Anything less is probably some kind of novelty scam.

[mlees]

mlees, Duke Tycho, Count of Sasserides, Lord of Orontius. The kowtow line forms right over there.

Moon | Legal status

PDF from International Institute of Space Law (what a job!): Félicitations ! Votre domaine a bien été créé chez OVHcloud !

[mlees]

Sorry, to explain second link in post #6, the PDF has this statement:

<snip> any purported attempt to claim ownership of any part of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, or authorization of such claims by national legislation, is forbidden as following from the explicit prohibition of appropriation, and consequently is prohibited and unlawful. Since there is no territorial jurisdiction in outer space or on celestial bodies, there can be no private ownership of parts thereof, as this would presuppose the existence of a territorial sovereign competent to confer such titles of ownership.

[DrFidelius]

@mlees

Sorry, to explain second link in post #6, the PDF has this statement:

Did you miss the post when I said I have lasers?

[Rhythmdvl]

@DrFidelius

Did you miss the post when I said I have lasers?

Are they shark-mounted lasers?

[Little_Nemo]

To answer the OP’s question, nobody has ever bought land on the moon. But some people have given money to a guy who then told them they owned land on the moon.

[mlees]

@DrFidelius

Did you miss the post when I said I have lasers?

Apparently, you missed the memo. You may not militarize the Moon, either. (See “Legal status” link in post #6.)

[DrFidelius]

@mlees

Apparently, you missed the memo. You may not militarize the Moon, either. (See “Legal status” link in post #6.)

Oh, not “militarized.” The lasers and legion of terror are for personal protection only.

(Sharks on the Moon? Absurd idea.)

[Chronos]

There’s a difference between “may not” and “can not”.

[mlees]

@Chronos

There’s a difference between “may not” and “can not”.

In “Mother, May I”, mother can very well say “no”. There is no confusion there.

“You may not have dessert. You may not go outside.” is not a grey area/maybe-if-you-feel-like-it situation.

In that use, may not = can not = not allowed within this rule set.

[Der_Trihs]

@mlees

Apparently, you missed the memo. You may not militarize the Moon, either. (See “Legal status” link in post #6.)

@Chronos

There’s a difference between “may not” and “can not”.

And if the government wants to send up troops to prevent me from militarizing the moon, they’re welcome to try!

[mlees]

@Der_Trihs

And if the government wants to send up troops to prevent me from militarizing the moon, they’re welcome to try!

Seal Team 6? :dubious:

[Colibri]

Since the factual aspect of this question has been answered, this is probably better off in IMHO.

Colibri
General Questions Moderator

[Voyager]

Anyone trying to occupy their piece of moon are going to have to answer to Gidney & Cloyd.

[uuaschbaer]

To those who’ve just spent $40 on moon land: don’t trust that in 120 years I won’t go there with my mechanic liver and go all Alexander the Great on your asses

[Siam_Sam]

I have not bought land on the moon. However, I am renting a nice timeshare that a good gentleman sold me over the phone. It’s apparently on the shore of the Sea of Tranquillity.