Muhammed Ali Week 11: Who Gets the Moon if We Colonize it?
Legally, the answer to this question is simple: No one.
By international law, no nation can “own” space, the moon, or any other celestial body. With the technology and access to the moon we currently have, this is an easily accepted reality for basically all countries, regardless of the country’s interest in space or the colonization of it. The ISS (International Space Station) is under the same jurisdiction as the moon, in that anyone from any country is permitted to enter, and no one can be rightfully denied entry. However, eventually, colonies on the moon will begin to appear as space travel becomes more widely available and accessible. Once this happens, will the moon still be in a state of international neutrality? Probably not.
If space travel really takes off and becomes an incredibly profitable industry, countries will want to get themselves in on it, and colonizing/setting up camp on the moon will be essential to their success. It’s likely that something similar to the colonization of “The New World” will happen with the moon, serving as a further outreach of imperialization for countries wishing to expand both their influence and power by whatever means necessary. Protests against this course of action will exist, just as it did during the colonization of the Americas, but again, these will have minimal effects on the course of action powerful governments choose to take. If they elect to continue with the colonization of the moon, there’s hardly anything anyone—including the international space community—can do to stop them.
Is space colonization a good thing? Kind of. It will make space exploration and experimentation a lot more accessible, thereby expediting discoveries that would have been made in a much longer period of time. However, it gives way for even more international disputes, already breaking the laws set in place that were once peacefully agreed upon.
Hi Muhammed! I agree with you, I think it is very possible that governments will end up fighting over land on the moon, despite what the majority of their people think. However, I also think it is very possible that big corporations will want land on the moon as well. Given the role they play in government already, the amount of power they have, it is very likely that they will end up participating in a land grab on the moon if the opportunity ever arises. While it is true that space colonization could make space exploration and experimentation more accessible, if it happens as a power grab, all the different entities would be working towards their own interests and would not be able to cooperate well enough together to make such strides in expediting discoveries.
ReplyDeleteHi Muhammad! I think that your blog topic this week is again really interesting. Although countries colonizing the moon and contesting it for more territory and influence is very much possible, I think that it is more likely for companies to take over the moon than governments. First of all, according to International Space Law, nobody can own a body in space. In addition, countries would most likely face pushback and pressure from other countries if they were to try to subtly claim the moon, perhaps through a higher quantity of “moon exploration expeditions,” or putting more of their own buildings on the moon without explicitly claiming it (which is legal, you can just build on the moon) and even more if they were to illegally claim the moon. This means that while countries may be more restricted by other countries, companies, which may not face as much internal regulation/discourse, or external pressure, may be the primary colonizers of the moon. And again, there is no need to legally colonize the moon; if you put enough buildings on a section of it, it will technically be yours. This also ignores what happens if you build a building on Earth, legally claim it as yours, and then fly it to the moon, but I am sure there are some regulations for that. Either way, as technology begins to accelerate, international space laws need to be brought into the public consciousness.
ReplyDeleteHi Muhammad!
ReplyDeleteYour blog topic is possibly the most interesting out of all of the ones this week! I think that the colonization of the moon is something that we tend not to think about very often, but I believe it is inevitable. Knowing the power-grabbing, materialistic, and mostly Capitalistic society we live in, I believe that the US government, along with many others, will be the first to colonize the moon. Even though, international space laws state that no nation can legally colonize the moon, I believe that most countries will not follow these rules. There definitely will be a war of some sort regarding the occupation of celestial bodies at some point in the future. Furthermore, as our peers have stated, corporations and companies also have a high chance of trying to colonize the moon. Our society values money the most, and CEOs and founders of major companies are at the top in regards of who earns the most. Due to this, they also have a chance at becoming some of the first people to "live" on a celestial body.
Hi Muhammad, I think the blog was very insightful how it paralleled the introduction of the New World. The moon will have value and rare resources either just to show how rich someone is by having moon stones or using it to make something new on earth. I feel like the reason the rush to the New World's resources with trying to get the last piece than fighting to get the whole thing was because they did not have the technology to. Now there is nukes and other deadly weapons that threaten our home, the Earth. If some country were to try to claim the moon then other country would just blow up their house base.
ReplyDeleteHi Muhammed,
ReplyDeleteYour blog, being on a unique topic, immediately drew me to read it. Your blog contains an insightful exploration of the complexities surrounding lunar colonization. Your breakdown of the legalities concerning space ownership sets a clear foundation for understanding the current state of affairs. Your blog invites readers to think about the parallels between the potential colonization of the moon and historical events like the exploration of “The New World,” which highlights how power and territorial ambitions shape our history. Your comparison to the colonization of America adds an important layer to the discussion, underscoring the potential tensions that may come up from countries exerting control on lunar colonization. This highlights the importance of thinking about the ethical and social implications of space exploration. I admire your nuanced perspective on the benefits and drawbacks of space colonization. While it promises many benefits, like accelerating scientific progress, it also raises the problems of international disputes and the transgression of established laws.