Since the USA was the first nation to land on the moon...does the USA own the moon now..as in property rights?

Answer 1

Nope. We are party to a treaty that says space and everything in it is to be for the benefit of all humankind and that no one owns any part of it.

Answer 2

If history is any example, the answer depends on the moment in the future when it is formally asked.
Portugal and Spain divided up the New World, without so much as a thought of the rights of the inhabitants. China annexed Tibet, because they could.
The most striking thought about this is the current spat between Spain and a treasure hunting firm. Spain says the gold found on the sunken ship is theirs because it came from a Spanish ship, while the treasure hunters claim salvage rights. In reality, the gold was extorted and stolen from Central America, so it should actually belong to the current residents - at least they have a right to make claim.
A number of years ago, a Native American group produced a treaty with the Federal Government and the State of Maine which granted them about a quarter of the state. The document stood all legal scrutiny until it became clear they were actually going to win this property back. Since the forestry industry has a staggering pull in Maine, and the state would have seen a big chunk go back to the Indians, the treaty was declared 'Void' in the interests of the people of Maine.
No matter what is said today, when we start divvying up the moon for settlement, there will be new words.

Answer 3

Check out Antarctica - each nation has a slice of the pie - you just have to be cold hearted enough to go get some of it.

The Moon and its real-estate has boggled the US-economy for years - so now, everyone owns a part of the moon - they just don't know it yet.

Whatever the costs of getting there - it sure looks sandy the sun rises a little earlier than planned most times...oh and over the timeshare...do they do vallet parking?

Property boomed early 70's in space memorabilia - fans horded to take a slice of 'what wuz out there' buying names for stars - calling breezeblocks names and doing a rather silly thing and that was hoping to go see fer yerself that it is right to own a crater on the moon.

Getting planning permission though is turnign out to be a set back - though don't let this little teething problem wreck yer hopes. Rocket rides can be had for 50c down the mall!

Answer 4

Actually, the Russians landed a probe on the Moon before the US did. The US were just the first to land humans.

Answer 5

The Moon and any other solar system object will belong to whoever will occupy it first, regardless of any treaty.
That's why the Chinese are speeding up their space program anr their plans to land on the Moon.
If the USA keep spending most of its budget on military equipment and wars, they will lose the new space race and probably some other important races.
.

Answer 6

The moon was disputed between NATO and the Soviet union until a treaty stated:

1 a nuclear arsenal cannot be launched from space

2 any planet/moon/asteroid is no ones territory

well... at least according to the UN

Answer 7

It's just ridiculous to discuss that! Common, there has never been anybody who'd landed on the moon. There's STILL no technologies for that. And it's would be rediculous to think that some nation has landed on the moon after only less than 10 years of the official SPACE ERA existence!

Answer 8

Although we landed there, we do not currently reside on the moon so I would say no one can claim property rights unless the property is residable.

Answer 9

Probably not. I think there was something in the small print of one of those international charters people keep signing up to.

Also, (if I remember right) - the Russians soft-landed a sort of motorised bathtub called lunakhod 9 on it first, which might give them parking rights.

Answer 10

Keep dreaming. If it was like that then Indians came to America first then how did it became USA.