Who gets ownership of the moon?

I would say its unclaimed territory, so whomever has the power to actually build stuff on it and set up a colony has ownership to it or at least the area where they set up the colony on.

Reason: I am just thinking back to ye olde times how new land was claimed by people.

It is the same as Antarctica – land is owned by the international community, and cannot be bought or sold. There was one company that was selling plots of land on the moon, but I’m not sure how they thought it was theirs to sell.

__Russia and the U.S. are party to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which defines the Moon and all outer space as the “province of all mankind“__

Source

Ownership of the Moon will default to whoever a) goes up there with weapons or b) builds and owns structures on the Moon.
@RareDenver Did the Chinese sign the treaty? Because I’ve got my money on them.

In my opinion, it belongs to a guy called Dennis Hope who used a loophole in the law in 1980 to buy the moon. He has been selling plots of land on the moon ever since. even though he did buy it using a loophole, I still see it as a fair and square acquisition, and his legal ownership should be supported. either that, or overturn any and all decisions that have ever been made on the basis of a technicality.

It should be just like the Interntional Space Station…....shared by several nations on earth.

I think squaters rules should apply. Who ever builds on it first should have domain. However I do think it should be a world thing as @FireMadeFlesh mentioned.

The laws have not yet been written to define how land on the moon will be owned. A treaty between a handful of countries is meaningless, as any country who never signed that treaty can go there and write their own laws. I have a hunch that, when the time comes, countries will establish scientific research stations there. Some of those research stations may become colonies. At that point, national boundaries will be established, and those countries will impose the same sort of laws that they do on earth to recognize private land ownership. And if the United States tries to enforce that treaty they signed with Russia upon everyone else (as they tend to do here on earth), then there will be war.

noone gets the moon, God already owns it.

@Nullo China have signed and ratified the Outer Space Treaty Source

well God still owns it after all he made it, no one owns it but him. even if its written on paper.

I do. I’m a Cancer. That’s my planet. Back off, simps!

@angelique_1 – But God also owns the earth. So, by your logic, we have no right to live on earth either?

no we dont own the earth, we simply live on it. God owns it. think about it, in the bible God is our creator, and he made everything including us. you should get it out and read it. we own the things that are man made simply because we have bought it with money, or someone gave it to us, or we have borrowed it. we i could own the moon i would because i love to look at it, and the stars too. the ocean well it would be mine too. but i cant own these things because they are here for everyone to look at.

I have read it. For the sake of argument, let’s call land ownership land stewardship. Given that, I see nothing in the Bible that says we have to treat land stewardship on the moon any different than on earth.

@angelique_1 Ferraris are not public property, but I can still enjoy looking at them. Would you be okay with people owning part of the moon if there were zoning laws that prevented extensive changes to the topography?

@angelique_1 makes a good point: we don’t own anything. It helps a body with perspective.

@Nullo Then we need another term to describe the way in which my things are my property. Redefining ownership is not helpful or necessary.

@FireMadeFlesh I think that it would suffice to consider it a matter of scale. With respect to interpersonal relations, we have property, can claim achievements, etc. But in the grander pictures, including the one hanging in God’s office, it all counts for precious little.

Based on legal guidelines (the outer space treaty as linked and outlined above being an excellent example) the moon will be universal property, this would also arguably be preferable from the perspective of western morality. However, based on past patterns of territory ownership and negotiation it’s probable that the de facto owners of the moon will become the most economically powerful nations as they will have the resources available to efficiently secure and colonise the moon which shall lead to their respective cultures becoming the convention there.

@Nullo Fair enough.

What nation’s flag is flying on it.

Pretty simple to me.

@Nially_Bob Actually, Argentina would get a fair portion of Antartica via the Falkland Islands, if it wanted to.

@Nullo
Via the Falkland Islands? Judging by past relations between Britain and Argentina I have my doubts as to whether this would be possible.
I’m confused as to what relation this has to my comment.

@Nially_Bob In retrospect, I don’t see how it’s related to your post, either. I think that I was aiming at @FireMadeFlesh. Sorry.

thank you nullo for such a kind answer.

@Nullo No need to apologise, I was merely a little confused and required clarification :)