Kathmandu — US President Donald Trump’s recent claim about the Moon has reignited a long-standing debate over ownership and sovereignty in outer space.

Trump posted a photograph of the Moon on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Sunday, accompanied by a message suggesting that “the Moon is ours.” The image also featured the American flag.

His remark has raised a broader question: if no country can legally claim sovereignty over the Moon, how do companies and individuals continue to sell what they describe as plots of lunar land?

For decades, various commercial ventures have marketed certificates and documents purporting to grant ownership of land on the Moon. Some people purchase such certificates as novelty gifts for birthdays, weddings and other special occasions. However, such documents do not confer legally recognised ownership of lunar territory under international space law.

What does international space law say?

The principal international legal framework governing activities in outer space is the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, formally known as the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space.

The treaty was opened for signature in January 1967 and entered into force later that year. The United States and India are among its parties.

The treaty establishes that the exploration and use of outer space must be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries. It also emphasises that outer space should be free for exploration and use without discrimination and should not become the preserve of any particular nation.

Under the treaty, the Moon and other celestial bodies are open to exploration and use by all states on an equal basis. Scientific investigation is also protected, provided that activities comply with the treaty’s broader principles.

Can a country claim the Moon as its territory?

The answer is clearly set out in Article II of the Outer Space Treaty.

It states that outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by sovereignty, use or occupation, or by any other means.

In practical terms, this means that no country can legally occupy a portion of the Moon and declare it part of its national territory.

From that perspective, Trump’s statement that “the Moon is ours” is fundamentally different from the legal position established by the treaty. The United States, like other treaty parties, cannot lawfully turn part of the lunar surface into sovereign US territory.

That does not, however, mean that countries are prohibited from travelling to the Moon or conducting activities there. Scientific research, exploration and other peaceful space activities are permitted under international law.

Who owns spacecraft and equipment sent to the Moon?

Ownership of lunar territory and ownership of objects sent to the Moon are two different matters.

Under Article VIII, a space object registered by a state remains under the jurisdiction and control of that state while in outer space or on a celestial body.

Therefore, a spacecraft, scientific instrument or other equipment placed on the Moon does not automatically lose its ownership simply because it has landed there.

A country may operate its spacecraft on the lunar surface, but landing a spacecraft does not give that country ownership of the surrounding land.

Who is responsible if damage occurs?

The Outer Space Treaty also establishes principles concerning responsibility for damage caused by space objects.

Under Article VII, a launching state can bear international liability if a space object or its component parts cause damage to another state, its citizens or legal entities on Earth, in the atmosphere, in outer space or on a celestial body.

Article IX further calls on states to conduct space activities with due regard to the interests of other countries and to avoid harmful contamination of outer space and celestial bodies.

If a planned space activity could potentially interfere with another country’s peaceful exploration or use of outer space, the treaty calls for appropriate international consultations before the activity proceeds.

Are lunar stations and equipment open to everyone?

Article XII contains provisions concerning stations, installations, equipment and spacecraft located on the Moon and other celestial bodies.

Such facilities are to be open to representatives of other states parties on the basis of reciprocity. However, reasonable advance notice is required so that visits do not interfere with normal operations or safety.

The provision reflects the treaty’s broader emphasis on transparency, cooperation and peaceful exploration.

Can private companies or individuals buy land on the Moon?

The question of whether private companies or individuals can claim lunar territory has been debated for decades.

Article VI of the Outer Space Treaty states that states bear international responsibility for national activities in outer space, including activities conducted by non-governmental entities. Private space activities therefore require appropriate authorisation and continuing supervision by the relevant state.

However, there is no internationally recognised land-registration system that allows private individuals or companies to obtain legal title to plots of land on the Moon.

Consequently, a company may issue a certificate claiming that a customer owns a particular lunar plot, but such a certificate does not create internationally recognised property rights over the Moon’s surface.

How did the lunar land-selling business begin?

One of the more unusual claims concerning lunar ownership is associated with German citizen Martin Juergens, who reportedly claimed that the Moon belonged to his family, based on an alleged gift made by King Frederick the Great in the 18th century.

The modern commercial lunar-land business became particularly prominent in the 1980s when American entrepreneur Dennis Hope established the organisation known as the Lunar Embassy.

Hope began claiming ownership of lunar land and selling certificates for individual plots, reportedly arguing that the 1967 treaty did not explicitly prohibit private individuals from making such claims.

Other organisations subsequently entered the market, selling certificates and documents purporting to represent lunar land ownership.

However, such transactions have no recognised basis as transfers of real estate under international space law.

Why do people buy ‘land’ on the Moon?

People purchase lunar-land certificates for a variety of reasons.

Some see them as novelty items, while others buy them as symbolic gifts for birthdays, weddings or other milestones. Some buyers may also mistakenly believe that the certificates represent genuine property rights.

Reports have also linked Indian actors Sushant Singh Rajput and Shah Rukh Khan with claims of owning plots on the Moon. Such reports generally concern symbolic lunar-land certificates purchased by fans rather than legally recognised ownership.

Some companies currently advertise lunar land for around US$37.50 per acre, although prices vary by seller. Such certificates should be understood as novelty or commemorative products rather than legally enforceable property deeds.

The race to reach the Moon

While countries cannot claim sovereignty over the Moon, competition to reach and explore it has continued for decades.

The Soviet Union’s Luna 1 became the first spacecraft to pass near the Moon in 1959. Later that year, Luna 2 became the first human-made object to reach the lunar surface, while Luna 3 transmitted the first images of the far side of the Moon.

In 1969, the United States’ Apollo 11 mission achieved the first crewed lunar landing. Astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the Moon.

Since then, the United States, the Soviet Union/Russia, Japan, European countries, China and India have undertaken a range of lunar missions.

China’s Chang’e 6 mission returned samples from the far side of the Moon in 2024. In 2025, the US private company Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 successfully landed on the Moon.

In April 2026, NASA’s Artemis II mission carried four astronauts around the Moon before returning safely to Earth after an approximately 10-day mission.

Sovereignty remains off limits

The ability to reach and operate on the Moon is increasingly becoming an important demonstration of a country’s scientific and technological capabilities. But the ability to explore the lunar surface does not translate into sovereignty over it.

Under the framework established by the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, countries may send spacecraft to the Moon, conduct scientific research and operate equipment there. They may also retain ownership and control over their spacecraft and equipment.

What they cannot do is transform the lunar territory itself into national property.

Therefore, Trump’s political declaration that “the Moon is ours” and the legal position established by international space law are two distinctly different matters. The Moon may be the subject of an intensifying race for exploration, resources and scientific discovery—but, under the existing international legal framework, it cannot simply become the sovereign territory of any one nation.