“I’ll Give You The Moon…Hold The Stars”

Romanians are giving each other plots of land on the Moon as Valentine’s gifts.

While few gift recipients probably really care, these deeds are almost certainly worthless in practical terms, if for no other reason than they are in violation of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which effectively forbids private property rights in space (or at least any declaration of national sovereignty, which is almost a de facto requirement for enforcement of such rights).

Say, as long as we’re taking a fresh look at Kyoto and the ABM Treaty, maybe the environment is getting ripe for a fresh look at the OST. It was written at a different time, and the political planets may be coming into alignment to revise it to encourage, rather than discourage, free enterprise off the planet, as well as on it.