Published on June 27, 2024 at 10:24 par Aurélia WARNING
The Moon is the natural satellite of the Earth, everyone knows that. But apart from our planet, does it belong to anyone else?
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Raise your hand if you have never marveled at the Moon (day or night). Whether it is full or waxing, it does not leave you indifferent. You only have to look at the place it occupies in popular culture. A playground for many space explorations, does the Moon belong to one or more nations?
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The Moon, a privileged place for extraterrestrial exploration
It all started in 1969 when the American Neil Armstrong entered history by becoming the first man to walk on the Moon. Since then, a number of missions have been carried out (with varying degrees of success) on the star. Nowadays, 5 nations managed to send robots there, and only the United States can congratulate itself on having sent human beings there five times, as several sources recall.
India, Japan and even China are among the latest countries. The Chang’e 6 mission of the Middle Kingdom has just come, in this month of June 2024to report samples of its hidden side. A feat that the Chinese are the first to achieve. And on closer inspection, the Moon no longer seems just to be a place of exploration, but almost of conquest. The different countries are engaged in such a frantic race that one wonders if the prize to be won is not the Moon itself.
This is who owns the moon
If certain nations, like the United States, have had a significant impact on its history, the Moon does not belong to them. THE Space Treaty of 1967 ruled that it could not belong to anyone. It’s a common heritage of humanity. 100 countries have signed this treaty. In 1979, the agreement on the Moon goes even further. He argues that no one can claim authority over the resources there. The number of signatory countries this time drops to 10. And interestingly, none of the nations that have been on the Moon have signed it.
It must be said that the resources of the Earth’s natural satellite are far from being without interest. We find iron, titanium, helium and even… traces of water. Experts estimate such a value at several billion dollars. “From now on we send all kinds of things to the Moon just because we can. There’s no real logic or reason anymore.”, lamented Michelle Hanlon, space lawyer and professor of space law. She was probably referring to the Peregrine mission which planned to send human remains there.
Still, while the Moon holds great hope for nations and private companies around the world, few seem concerned by the growing pollution on its surface. Who knows, the fact that it moves away from our planet from year to year will surely have advantages for the star.
Source :
BBC
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