Toward A Lunar Republic

For more than four decades, a debate has raged on among those interested in the exploration of space and the eventual settlement of the Moon and other planets. The question of who actually "owns" space led the United Nations to draft several treaties, including the landmark Space Treaty of 1967, in order to lay the groundwork for resolution of the conflict.

The original 1967 U.N. Treaty and the subsequent 1979 revision (which failed to garner approval by the required number of member states) established that no nation, individual or corporate entity from a signing nation could lay claim to any celestial body, including the Moon. Several notable attempts to circumvent these treaties have been undertaken over the years with varying results, but the debate continued much the same as it always had.

The first agreement, entered into force on October 10, 1967, bore the breath-taking title "Treaty On Principles Governing The Activities Of States In The Exploration And Use Of Outer Space, Including The Moon And Other Celestial Bodies," which became more commonly known as "The 1967 Moon Treaty."

Under its provisions, no nation on Earth, nor any individual or commercial enterprise, would be permitted to claim the Moon as its own property. And although a proposed 1979 revision to the Treaty was not ratified by the member states of the UN (none of the major space-faring nations signed the document), it has continued to provide the foundation for how Earth's nations conducted themselves in space.

While the Treaty established a set of guidelines for nations to follow, the debate continued as to who would ultimately determine the course of future development for the Moon. Ultimately it became clear to many that those directly involved and most interested in the mission to explore, inhabit and develop the Moon — scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs and concerned civilians — should be responsible for determining its future.

How best to do this became a complex challenge, as various groups around the world organized their projects independently and set separate courses for designing and building launch vehicles and planning space habitats.

One point became increasingly evident as the thrilling era of the Space Race faded: the governments of the major space-faring nations were no longer willing or interested in investing the financial resources of their citizens in this costly pursuit. However, one daunting fact remained to be considered — Article 11, Paragraph 5, of the 1979 Moon Treaty (see inset at right), which allows the UN to hand-pick an "international regime" to govern the Moon, without the benefit of a free election or any public input regarding the future of Luna.

Faced with this fact and with the member states of the United Nations legally bound by the directives of the Moon Treaty, one solution arose that addressed each issue simply and prudently.

On July 20, 1999, on the thirtieth anniversary of humankind's first visit to the Moon, a document proclaiming the creation of the Lunar Republic was issued to the public and presented to the leaders of more than fifty nations around the world. (A copy of the original document is available for review online by clicking here.) The document proclaimed the establishment of an independent and sovereign Lunar Republic, empowered to create a long-term plan for the exploration and settlement of the Moon and the development of its resources.

Legally organized as an international business company (IBC), the Lunar Republic Society is currently authorized to operate in more than 200 countries around the world, including the United States, Japan, Russia, China, India, Great Britain, Australia, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden.

Along with the responsibility for guiding the peaceful occupation and exploration of the Moon and management of its resources, the government of the Lunar Republic also provides for the protection and preservation of certain landmarks (including Lunar landing sites and most mountains, valleys and other unique features) while allowing individual property ownership in certain areas. Of the nine-billion acres of land that encompass Luna, only about 100-million acres will be offered for sale — approximately 2% of the total land available.

Authorized by the Lunar Republic Society to administer all facets of property ownership on the Moon is The Lunar Registry, an international agency with more than two decades of combined experience in sales, marketing and promotion. The Lunar Registry manages all aspects of Lunar land sales, including mapping of tracts and lots, preparing documents, maintaining the ownership database, and handling transfers of property between owners.

The central purpose of The Lunar Registry is to protect and uphold the private property rights of Lunar land owners, while also working with other agencies and organizations in developing plans for the settlement of Lunar colonies, the promotion of Lunar tourism, and the development of mineral and other resources on the Moon. All profits from the sale of land claims by The Lunar Registry is directed toward organizations that are working to achieving the goals of the Lunar Republic Society and its citizen-partners. All sales are conducted in compliance with the Lunar Settlement Initiative, with at least 95% of all profits going directly to a privatized lunar exploration program.

In the 1700s, it took a revolutionary act by visionary men and women who believed in self-determination for the American colonies that helped to create a new nation. We believe that the future of the Moon should also belong to those of us who believe in the promise of Earth's nearest neighbor and its potential for settlement, tourism, resource mining and scientific study, as well as serving as a launching point for exploration into deeper space.

In our pursuit for self-determination as a sovereign citizenry, we are also very concerned about the conservation of the Lunar environment and the preservation of its important landmarks and valuable resources. We must assure the world and future generations that the craters, mountains, seas and other distinctive features of the Moon, as well as the landing sites of the Apollo, Luna, Surveyor and Ranger missions, are maintained in their current condition forever.