Interpreting the Outer Space Treaty's Non-Appropriation Principle: Customary International Law from 1967 to Today

Abstract

SpaceX plans to have its first astronauts land on Mars by 2026. Blue Origin wants to take tourists to space by April 2019. The European Space Agency points to the possibilities of mining Helium-3 on the moon to provide cleaner energy here on Earth. Space tourism, exploration, and exploitation are very real possibilities in the near future—at least technologically. Legally, however, the way forward is less clear.