16th February 2022
New report argues for ownership of the Moon
The Adam Smith Institute (ASI), a neoliberal think tank based in London, UK, has published a new report on property rights in space. It suggests dividing the Moon into regions and privatising it, which the institute believes could help end global poverty.
Space Invaders: Property Rights on the Moon, by economic consultant Rebecca Lowe, argues that creating a clear system of property rights in space could empower all of humanity with a greater stake in space exploration, as well as accelerating scientific discovery.
The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 – of which 111 countries are party to, including all major spacefaring powers – states that space is the “province of all mankind” and shall be freely explored and used by all nations. It precludes any country from claiming sovereignty over outer space or any celestial body, regardless of what national flags are planted on its surface.
However, the ASI believes this way of thinking has become outdated and is holding back humanity’s potential. Recent advances in space travel and commercialisation from the likes of SpaceX, Blue Origin, and other companies have opened up the possibility of Moon settlement in the relatively near future and the time has therefore come for a fresh approach to space resource utilisation, the institute says.
Lowe’s paper sets out a framework for individuals to gain morally-justified property rights in space, with a particular focus on plots of Moon land. Under the proposed system, individuals would compete against each other for plots of land on the Moon (that have most likely been initially acquired by, or assigned to, particular nations). This competition would involve paying ‘rent’ for such plots – the area and cost of which would be determined by supply and demand. A rebate could be given for improving the condition of land or providing for urgent human needs. Governance would currently depend on international agreement.
The paper explains how proceeds from Moon rents could be used to provide funding for future exploration, democratise space travel, and increase the number of individuals who are able to compete to actualise their equally-held potential right to space land (something that would only be possible, at present, for a tiny number of individuals). It also offers a way of addressing traditional concerns with property rights, such as the ‘first come, first served’ problem and the overriding moral priority of addressing urgent human needs.
“A clear, morally-justified, and efficient system for assigning and governing property rights in space would present vast benefits that go beyond financial rewards for people who would become owners,” explains Lowe. “Such a system would incentivise responsible stewardship of space, as well as opportunities for new scientific discovery, democratised space exploration, and much more. The creation of such a system is long overdue – progress on this issue is frozen amidst complex legalistic uncertainty. It’s time to find innovative ways to move beyond that.”
“Property rights play a key role in boosting living standards, innovation and human dignity here on Earth,” explains Daniel Pryor, Head of Research at the Adam Smith Institute. “The same would be true if we applied this logic to space, which presents a unique opportunity to start afresh when designing effective rules of ownership. With more countries and companies competing in the space race than ever before, it’s vital for us to move past the outdated thinking of the 1960s and tackle the question of extraterrestrial property rights sooner rather than later.”
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