You will all have seen the adverts somewhere in a gift shop , “Buy an Acre of the Moon”.

I remember seeing it in an on-line shop and thinking – If anyone buys that they need their heads testing, who would have the audacity to charge £ 20.00 for a something they have no right to? a gimmick, a worthless piece of paper.

In light of further research, maybe, buying a piece of the moon might not be such a bad idea!

Who Owns the Moon?

Various individuals have laid claim to the moon throughout history – through unofficial channels (although there seems to be no precedent to determine what would be the correct official channels to go through).

In 1966, 35 citizens of Ohio, signed a declaration of ownership.

In 1967, the UN drew up an Outer Space Treaty which declared that no one nation would ever be able to own the moon.

It subsequently transpired that whoever had drafted the treaty on behalf of the UN, had not considered the right of individuals to put in a legitimate claim.

A man called Dennis Hope found this loophole and immediately wrote to legally lay claim to the moon.

To this day, Dennis has not had a reply to his letter.

Dennis founded the “Lunar Embassy”, and has been successfully selling lunar land – approximately 500 million acres of the moon has been sold to date.

Hope has appointed ambassadors in other countries to market and sell the moon.

The UK ambassador runs a company called “Moon Estates” and has sold approximately 300,000 acres since 1980.

With over thirty years of well advertised trading under his belt, and in light of the lack of response or intervention by any Government agency during that time, Mr Hope would stand a good chance of maintaining his ownership if any legal proceedings were to ensue.

What Use is an Acre of Moon?

In 2008, and for the next couple of decades, moon land will have no intrinsic value – however, the moon may become hot property and sooner than you think.

Plans For The Moon

Manned Lunar Outposts

In 2006, NASA announced plans that they will have a manned lunar outpost on the moon by 2024.

Trans Lunar Research have selected the ideal position, at the moons South Pole, where they may find ice water and have the advantage of 24 hour sunlight.

The contract for the manufacture of the space suits and support systems has been awarded in June 08 to “Oceaneering International PLC” in Houston for $ 183.8 million.

The European and Russian Space Agencies have reported that they are also working on manned lunar space stations.

Development of Lunar Agriculture

The cost of transporting fresh food to the outpost workers would be extremely expensive – the solution therefore is to farm the lunar landscape.

Insitu plant chambers have been designed, to grow crops such as peppers, tomatoes and lettuce – research in ongoing into the development of other crops in a low gravity environment.

Establishment of Energy Processes

The USA have indicated that the moon would be an ideal environment to set up off world energy processing plants

Expansion Area For Humans

At a time when the world population is at its peak and predicted to expand further, the moon has to be considered as an overspill location. NASA scientists have reported that moon colonies can be built and populated within 20 years – subject to the length of time to deal with the inevitable bureaucratic red tape.

Space Tourism

This sounds like sci-fi but it has already begun – and is set to be a multi billion pound industry.

The Russian Space Agency offers paying members of the public, the chance to look at Earth from space in their Orbital Space Tourism programme. If you have to ask the price – you can’t afford it!

Virgin Galactic space flights are due to commence in 2009.

Space Adventures Ltd have announced that they will offer “circumlunar” missions to the moon for $100 million. Spaceports are currently under construction in Dubai and Singapore.

American Mogul Robert Bigelow is planning to launch the first commercial space station by 2010.

Russian Company “Excalibur Almaz”, Virgin’s Richard Branson and British Airways are looking into the development of space hotels.

You may think that I am a “lunatic” (excuse the pun), but I am going to chance my arm and buy an acre of the moon – for £20.00 I think that it is worth the gamble.