›Who Owns The Moon

Speaker: Michael Franks

The talk will look at who owns extraterrestrial bodies such as the Moon. This subject is becoming of increasing importance as private entrepreneurs develop space craft capable of reaching low earth orbit and beyond. There may be immense value in the metallic rocks of the asteroid belt but who will have the legal right to exploit these objects?

The talk will look at the existing law found in United Nations Treaties and recent United States Legislation. The talk will consider private international law and the jurisprudential theories of ownership.