Title:
Privatizing the Moon: Emergent of the Extraterrestrial Property Rights

Authors:
LIE Chun Pong, China

Abstract:

This research paper analyzes the potential for the privatization of the lunar surface and activities within the constraints of international legal frameworks that prohibit sovereign appropriation. We posits that legal prohibitions against territorial claims do not necessarily preclude effective control, especially when dominant actors, comprising sovereign states and private corporations, hold significant sway over launch infrastructure, orbital and surface-based standards, and resource extraction technologies. This study contextualizes lunar privatization within the broader domains of space law, international political economy, and the escalating commercialization of outer space, highlighting the implications for property rights regimes, regulatory sovereignty, and market dynamics in extraterrestrial resource markets.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51505/IJEBMR.2026.10415