Moon Treaty

The Agreement Governing the Activities of States on
the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies,[3] better known
as the Moon Treaty or Moon Agreement, is an interna-
tional treaty that turns jurisdiction of all celestial bodies
(including the orbits around such bodies) over to the in-
ternational community. Thus, all activities must conform
to international law, including the United Nations Char-
ter.
In practice it is a failed treaty because it has not been rat-
ied by any state that engages in self-launched manned
space exploration or has plans to do so (e.g. the United
States, the larger part of the member states of the
European Space Agency, Russia (former Soviet Union),
Peoples Republic of China, Japan, and India) since its
creation in 1979, and thus has a negligible eect on actual
spaceight. As of November 2016, it has been ratied by
17 states.[1]
Declares that for any samples obtained during re-
search activities, the state that obtained them must
consider making part of it available to all coun-
tries/scientic communities for research.
Bans altering the environment of celestial bodies and
requires that states must take measures to prevent
accidental contamination.
Bans any state from claiming sovereignty over any
territory of celestial bodies.
Bans any ownership of any extraterrestrial property
by any organization or person, unless that organiza-
tion is international and governmental.
Requires an international regime be set up to ensure
safe and orderly development and management of
the resources and sharing of the benets from them.

2 Ratication
1 Provisions
As a follow-on to the Outer Space Treaty, the Moon
Treaty intended to establish a regime for the use of the
Moon and other celestial bodies similar to the one estab-
lished for the sea oor in the United Nations Convention
on the Law of the Sea. The treaty would apply to the
Moon and to other celestial bodies within the Solar Sys-
tem, other than Earth, including orbits around or other
trajectories to or around them.
The treaty makes a declaration that the Moon should be
used for the benet of all states and all peoples of the in- Participation in the Moon Treaty
ternational community. It also expresses a desire to pre- Parties
vent the Moon from becoming a source of international Signatories
conict. To those ends the treaty does the following: Non-parties

Bans any military use of celestial bodies, including The treaty was nalized in 1979 and entered into force for
weapon testing or as military bases. the ratifying parties in 1984. As of November 2016, 17
states are parties to the treaty,[1] seven of which ratied
Bans all exploration and uses of celestial bodies the agreement and the rest acceded.[1][4] Four additional
without the approval or benet of other states under states have signed but not ratied the treaty.[1][4] The L5
the common heritage of mankind principle (article Society and others successfully opposed ratication of the
11). treaty by the United States Senate.[5]
Requires that the Secretary-General must be notied The objection to the treaty by the spacefaring nations is
of all celestial activities (and discoveries developed held to be the requirement that extracted resources (and
thanks to those activities). the technology used to that end) must be shared with other
nations. The similar regime in the United Nations Con-
Declares all states have an equal right to conduct re- vention on the Law of the Sea is believed to impede the
search on celestial bodies. development of such industries on the seabed.[6]

1
2 4 EXTERNAL LINKS

2.1 List of parties

2.2 List of signatories

3 References
[1] Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the
Moon and Other Celestial Bodies. United Nations Of-
ce for Disarmament Aairs. Retrieved 2013-05-16.

[2] Agreement governing the Activities of States on the

Moon and Other Celestial Bodies. United Nations. Re-
trieved 2014-12-05.

[3] Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon

and Other Celestial Bodies, Dec. 5, 1979, 1363 U.N.T.S.
3

[4] Status of international agreements relating to activities in

outer space as at 1 January 2008 United Nations Oce for
Outer Space Aairs, 2008

[5] Chapter 5: O'Neills Children, Reaching for the High

Frontier, The American Pro-Space Movement 1972-84,
by Michael A. G. Michaud, National Space Society.

[6] Listner, Michael (24 October 2011). The Moon Treaty:

failed international law or waiting in the shadows?". The
Space Review. 9 October 2015. Assuming that the Moon
Treaty has no legal eect because of the non-participation
of the Big Three is folly. The shadow of customary law
and its ability to creep into the vacuum left vacant by treaty
law should not be underestimated. To that end, the most
eective way of dealing with the question of the Moon
Treatys validity is to ocially denounce it. However, the
realities of international politics and diplomacy will likely
preclude such an action. The alternative is to act in a man-
ner contrary to the Moon Treaty, and more importantly
not to act in conformity with its precepts and hope that is
sucient to turn back the shadows of the Moon Treaty.

[7] Reference: C.N.124.2012.TREATIES-2 (Depositary

Notication)" (PDF). New York, NY: United Nations.
Retrieved 2012-04-03.

4 External links
Treaty Text Agreement Governing The Activ-
ities Of States On the Moon And Other Celestial
Bodies (1979)

Ocial Treaty Site United Nations Oce for

Outer Space Aairs (UNOOSA), including versions
of the treaty in several languages: Arabic, Chinese,
English, French, Russian, and Spanish.
 3

5 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

5.1 Text
Moon Treaty Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Treaty?oldid=747719665 Contributors: Ehn, JonathanDP81, DavidCary, Sj,
Snowdog, Wronkiew, JimQ, Atlastawake, RJHall, Enric Naval, Paulshipley, Alansohn, Alinor, Sciurin, Geraldshields11, Alex.g, Richard
Arthur Norton (1958- ), Steven Luo, GregorB, Driftwoodzebulin, JdforresterBot, AI, Wingsandsword, Metropolitan90, Roboto de
Ajvol, Danlaycock, Lockesdonkey, Igin, TheMadBaron, JQF, Hkhenson, Bluebot, Thom2002, Fuzzform, Fplay, Hibernian, alyosha,
Vgy7ujm, J 1982, JorisvS, Peyre, Zeroatomic, N2e, Cydebot, Legis, Honeplus, NERIUM, Noclevername, Yakushima, JamesBWatson,
WODUP, Svyatoslav, C.A.T.S. CEO, W1k13rh3nry, TJRC, TopGUN71691, PixelBot, L.tak, Good Olfactory, Kbdankbot, Addbot, Samat-
Bot, Lightbot, Yobot, AnomieBOT, AUG, Ldranton, Bambuway, Maxus96, Tom.Reding, NimbusWeb, ZroBot, Popapiano, Lokpest, Di-
noSlider, Gob Lofa, Schrdingers Neurotoxin, SpeedReader, Shkuru Afshar, Tetra quark, Verbal.noun, Deneb in Cygnus and Anonymous:
43

5.2 Images
File:Flag_of_Australia.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b9/Flag_of_Australia.svg License: Public domain Con-
tributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Flag_of_Austria.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Flag_of_Austria.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: Own work, http://www.bmlv.gv.at/abzeichen/dekorationen.shtml Original artist: User:SKopp
File:Flag_of_Belgium_(civil).svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Flag_of_Belgium_%28civil%29.svg
License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Flag_of_Chile.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Flag_of_Chile.svg License: Public domain Con-
tributors: Own work Original artist: SKopp
File:Flag_of_France.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c3/Flag_of_France.svg License: PD Contributors: ? Orig-
inal artist: ?
File:Flag_of_Guatemala.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Flag_of_Guatemala.svg License: Public
domain Contributors: Own work Original artist: User:K21edgo
File:Flag_of_India.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/41/Flag_of_India.svg License: Public domain Contributors:
? Original artist: ?
File:Flag_of_Kazakhstan.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Flag_of_Kazakhstan.svg License: Public
domain Contributors: own code, construction sheet Original artist: -x-
File:Flag_of_Kuwait.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Flag_of_Kuwait.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: Own work Original artist: SKopp
File:Flag_of_Lebanon.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Flag_of_Lebanon.svg License: Public do-
main Contributors: ? Original artist: Traced based on the CIA World Factbook with some modication done to the colours based on
information at Vexilla mundi.
File:Flag_of_Mexico.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Flag_of_Mexico.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: This vector image was created with Inkscape. Original artist: Alex Covarrubias, 9 April 2006
File:Flag_of_Morocco.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Flag_of_Morocco.svg License: Public
domain Contributors: Flag of the Kingdom of Morocco

<a data-x-rel='nofollow' class='external text' href='http://81.192.52.100/BO/AR/1915/BO_135_ar.PDF'>Moroccan royal decree (17

November 1915), BO-135-ar page 6</a>
Original artist: Denelson83, Zscout370
File:Flag_of_Pakistan.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Flag_of_Pakistan.svg License: Public do-
main Contributors: The drawing and the colors were based from agspot.net. Original artist: User:Zscout370
File:Flag_of_Peru.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Flag_of_Peru.svg License: Public domain Con-
tributors: Peru Original artist: David Benbennick
File:Flag_of_Romania.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Flag_of_Romania.svg License: Public do-
main Contributors: Own work Original artist: AdiJapan
File:Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia.svg
License: CC0 Contributors: the actual ag Original artist: Unknown<a href='https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4233718'
title='wikidata:Q4233718'><img alt='wikidata:Q4233718' src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/
Wikidata-logo.svg/20px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png' width='20' height='11' srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/
thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/30px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/
Wikidata-logo.svg/40px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 2x' data-le-width='1050' data-le-height='590' /></a>
File:Flag_of_Turkey.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Flag_of_Turkey.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: Turkish Flag Law (Trk Bayra Kanunu), Law nr. 2893 of 22 September 1983. Text (in Turkish) at the website of the
Turkish Historical Society (Trk Tarih Kurumu) Original artist: David Benbennick (original author)
File:Flag_of_Uruguay.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Flag_of_Uruguay.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: design of the sun copied from URL [1], which was copied by Francisco Gregoric, 5 Jul 2004 from URL [2] Original artist:
User:Reisio (original author)
File:Flag_of_Venezuela.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Flag_of_Venezuela.svg License: Public do-
main Contributors: ocial websites Original artist: Zscout370
4 5 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

File:Flag_of_the_Netherlands.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Flag_of_the_Netherlands.svg Li-

cense: Public domain Contributors: Own work Original artist: Zscout370
File:Flag_of_the_Philippines.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Flag_of_the_Philippines.svg Li-
cense: Public domain Contributors: The design was taken from [1] and the colors were also taken from a Government website Original
artist: User:Achim1999
File:Moon_Treaty_Participation.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Moon_Treaty_Participation.svg
License: CC BY-SA 2.5 Contributors: File:IAEA member states.svg Original artist: BlankMap-World6.svg: Happenstance et al.
File:Wikisource-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: Rei-artur Original artist: Nicholas Moreau

5.3 Content license

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0