Is the moon terra nullius, or do there exist property rights to the moon?
<p>Is the moon terra nullius or do any property rights exist for it in any shape or form?</p>

<h2>There are no property rights on celestial bodies ... at present</h2>

<p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Space_Treaty" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Outer Space Treaty</a> “explicitly forbids any government to claim a celestial resource such as the Moon or a planet.” And, since only governments can make such claims under international law, no one can.</p>

<p>However, the treaty was drafted at a time when <em>only</em> governments could play in space and didn’t contemplate actions by non-governments. The rocket fuel will hit the fan when a corporation starts exploiting space minerals.</p>

property jurisdiction