Why No Nation Can Claim the Moon: The Outer Space Treaty

Rules for the Space Age

On October 10, 1967, the Outer Space Treaty entered into force. The agreement established principles governing how states explore and use outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies. It was an international milestone with an important American role, rather than a law adopted by the United States alone.

Signing and Entry Into Force Were Different Events

The treaty opened for signature in Moscow, London and Washington on January 27, 1967. Its entry into force followed later that year. A recreation of October 10 should therefore show a ceremony marking the agreement becoming effective, rather than inventing a scene in which it was first signed that day.

No National Sovereignty Over the Moon

Article II states that outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation through claims of sovereignty, use, occupation or other means. The principle means that reaching the Moon or placing equipment there does not allow a country to declare it national territory.

Limits on Weapons in Space

Article IV prohibits placing objects carrying nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in Earth orbit, installing those weapons on celestial bodies or stationing them elsewhere in outer space. It also reserves the Moon and other celestial bodies for peaceful purposes and prohibits military bases, weapons testing and military maneuvers there.

What the Treaty Did Not Say

The treaty should not be summarized as banning every military activity throughout space. Its provisions distinguish weapons of mass destruction in orbit from restrictions on celestial bodies. It expressly permits military personnel and equipment to support scientific research or other peaceful purposes on those bodies.

Exploration and Assistance

The agreement provides for exploration and use without discrimination among states and supports scientific cooperation. It also requires assistance to astronauts facing accidents, distress or emergency landings. These provisions address practical responsibilities as well as the larger principle of access to space.

A Ceremony at the White House

President Lyndon B. Johnson marked the treaty’s entry into force with a ceremony in the White House East Room. His remarks emphasized peaceful exploration and international cooperation. The event placed diplomacy alongside the technological competition that had defined the first decade of the space age.

Before People Walked on the Moon

The treaty entered into force before the first crewed lunar landing. A video about October 1967 can use illustrative views of Earth and an empty lunar landscape, but should not show astronauts walking on the Moon as though that had already happened. The agreement concerned the rules for exploration as humanity prepared for further journeys.