Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Contact    |    RSS icon Twitter icon Facebook icon  
Unexplained Mysteries
You are viewing: Home > News > Space & Astronomy > News story
Welcome Guest ( Login or Register )  
All ▾
Search Submit

Space & Astronomy

Would you buy land on another planet ?

By T.K. Randall
April 6, 2012 · Comment icon 95 comments

Image Credit: NASA
In the future we could see businesses and governments laying claim to plots of land on other worlds.
Right now the 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits any one nation claiming sovereignty over anywhere beyond the Earth, but as technology advances and colonization of other worlds becomes a possibility how long can this restriction remain in effect ? Space policy consultant Rand Simberg believes that in the future we will see governments making plots of land available on other planets that can be purchased and used for private development.
Parceling out plots of land on celestial bodies might encourage people to invest in these properties, and this would benefit Earth economically, according to Simberg.


Source: Wired | Comments (95)

Tags:


Other news and articles

Recent stories:

The Sun. Now conspiracy theorists are claiming that our solar system has two suns
5-1-2024
'Loch Ness Monster' captured on camera by Canadian couple
5-1-2024
Ovni Museum in Argentina. Officials confiscate 'alien' foot after raid on UFO museum in Argentina
4-30-2024
Artificial Intelligence. Creators of AI 'death calculator' issue warning to the public
4-30-2024
Consciousness and reality. Could remembering something actually damage our brain cells ?
4-29-2024
Eglin UFO over Gulf of Mexico. Pentagon releases report on pilot UFO encounter over Gulf Of Mexico
4-29-2024
<< Previous story
How carbon helped to thaw the planet
Next story >>
'Lost' species of frog rediscovered
Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #86 Posted by Marks_Thoughts 12 years ago
The USA walked on the moon and planted a flag. In times past this entitled the 'discovering' nation to sovereignty of the land, at least to reasonable limits. Because there is no sentient life, actually no life at all, on the moon, I would agree that the US has the right to possession and sovereignty, with the ensuing rights to allow homesteading and other fee simple uses of the land like mining and similar. This is going to happen, perhaps not to the extent as claiming the entire moon as I describe, but it will happen. Companies or governments are going to set down on other celestial bodies i... [More]
Comment icon #87 Posted by Waspie_Dwarf 12 years ago
In case you missed the point the article refers to the ownership of celestial bodies and not the naming of them. Americas refusal to ratify both The Outer Space and Moon Treaty's are a prime example of their desire to claim territory in space. The Outer Space Treaty WAS ratified by the USA, on 10th October 1967. As for singling out the USA for the non-ratification of the Moon Treaty that seems to show a bias, given that only 13 states have ratified it and none of them are space faring nations. The nation's which have ratified the treaty are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Kazakhstan, Leba... [More]
Comment icon #88 Posted by DONTEATUS 12 years ago
God dosnt sell the planets ! First thing one must understand is that Planets are made by Slaughtybartfast and cost tons of bucks ! Magrathea is where one must go to put in an order to get one also ! Now that ,thats well & Good Lets all go to Milliyways for a Dinner and concert !
Comment icon #89 Posted by MID 12 years ago
In case you missed the point the article refers to the ownership of celestial bodies and not the naming of them. Americas refusal to ratify both The Outer Space and Moon Treaty's are a prime example of their desire to claim territory in space. In case YOU missed the point here, I was responding to someone who mentioned the relation between owning a planet and that fad about having a star named after you. Both kind of silly, and both impossible. By the way, the US ratified the Outer Space Tereaty in 1967, and join 99 other nations as participants. The treaty is called: TreatyOn Principals Gover... [More]
Comment icon #90 Posted by MID 12 years ago
The USA walked on the moon and planted a flag. In times past this entitled the 'discovering' nation to sovereignty of the land, at least to reasonable limits. ? PROBLEM: We did not discover the Moon. We landed on it, two years after ratifying a treaty prohibiting us from such sovereignty claims. Do the words, "We came in peace for ALL MANKIND" mean anything as pertains to intent? Because there is no sentient life, actually no life at all, on the moon, I would agree that the US has the right to possession and sovereignty, with the ensuing rights to allow homesteading and other fee simple uses o... [More]
Comment icon #91 Posted by DONTEATUS 12 years ago
Billionaires Smaggillionaires ! We dont need no stinkin Quadzillionaires tell us what to do ! THe Moon Is for all to explore, mine, develop as Long as we all do it in Peace ! Same goes for every where we will plan to go ! Im all for an open and Free Space development !
Comment icon #92 Posted by Zalanox 12 years ago
It's just like those stars you can buy. You get a fancy little certificate you can frame and hang on your wall. They won't literally own the planet.
Comment icon #93 Posted by Waspie_Dwarf 12 years ago
It's just like those stars you can buy. You get a fancy little certificate you can frame and hang on your wall. They won't literally own the planet. Yes they would literally own it, that is the entire point of this discussion. From the original post: Private companies should be able to buy land on The Moon or other planets for tourism, mining or even to sell property, a space policy expert has said. Those certificates you speak of are not people buying stars, they are paying to name them (it's a total waste of money incidentally, celestial bodies are officially named by the International Astro... [More]
Comment icon #94 Posted by Zalanox 12 years ago
Yes they would literally own it, that is the entire point of this discussion. From the original post: Those certificates you speak of are not people buying stars, they are paying to name them (it's a total waste of money incidentally, celestial bodies are officially named by the International Astronomical Union, and they don't sell star names. Those fancy little certificates aren't worth the paper they are written on). You cannot own something nobody has access to. When the billionaires can get these places colonized or secured in some way then I'll acknowledge their ownership. But until then ... [More]
Comment icon #95 Posted by Waspie_Dwarf 12 years ago
You cannot own something nobody has access to. When the billionaires can get these places colonized or secured in some way then I'll acknowledge their ownership. But until then it's a giant, arrogant game. You again seem to be rather missing the point. No billionaire is claiming to own a planet. There is no one playing the arrogant game you are imagining. It is a suggestion from a so-called policy expert. Your last point about colonisation is altogether the wrong way around. If it was possible to own a planet it would make sense to buy it before it is colonised. Buying it afterwards would be l... [More]
 Click here to view all 95 comments on this story    


Please Login or Register to post a comment.


Our new book is out now!
Book cover

The Unexplained Mysteries
Book of Weird News

 AVAILABLE NOW 

Take a walk on the weird side with this compilation of some of the weirdest stories ever to grace the pages of a newspaper.

Click here to learn more

We need your help!
Patreon logo

Support us on Patreon

 BONUS CONTENT 

For less than the cost of a cup of coffee, you can gain access to a wide range of exclusive perks including our popular 'Lost Ghost Stories' series.

Click here to learn more

Top 10 trending mysteries
This week
This month
All time
1. Roswell Incident
2. Electronic Voice Phenomenon
3. Ghost
4. Pareidolia
5. Unidentified Flying Object
- 6. Bigfoot
7. Spirit Photography (Classic)
- 8. Orb
9. Area 51
10. Yeti
View More
Recent news and articles
The Sun.
Conspiracy

Now conspiracy theorists are claiming that our solar system has two suns

5-1-2024 | 2
Creatures, Myths & Legends

'Loch Ness Monster' captured on camera by Canadian couple

5-1-2024 | 10
Ovni Museum in Argentina.
Extraterrestrial

Officials confiscate 'alien' foot after raid on UFO museum in Argentina

 VIDEO  4-30-2024 | 11
Artificial Intelligence.
Science & Technology

Creators of AI 'death calculator' issue warning to the public

4-30-2024 | 7
Consciousness and reality.
Science & Technology

Could remembering something actually damage our brain cells ?

4-29-2024 | 4
Eglin UFO over Gulf of Mexico.
The UFO Phenomenon

Pentagon releases report on pilot UFO encounter over Gulf Of Mexico

4-29-2024 | 14
View More News