People are buying land on the Moon to gift their loved ones. But is it a scam?
There are many websites that offer you to buy land on the Moon. Photo: dailyO
Ever since the historic landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon, our nation's 1.4 billion people have been jubilant, celebrating India's remarkable achievement in lunar exploration. However, even before Chandrayaan-3's mission, there were those who laid claim to lunar property.
In the wake of this successful launch, the fervor for acquiring lunar land among Indians and others has surged dramatically.
What?
Space is no one's property. But what if we told you there are companies that have been selling property on the moon even before the 1960s? No, we are not lying.
A simple Google search will lead you to companies like Lunarembassy, Cosmicregister, or Lunarregistry. In fact, there are numerous news and other websites that offer a guide on how to buy land on the moon, complete with links to these mentioned websites.
We visited the Lunar Embassy website, owned by Dennis Hope, an individual who claims to own the moon (yes, we will get to that later). Now, here's the thing: The Lunar Embassy is offering a piece of land on the moon, which is owned by their founder, Dear Dennis Hope.
- Land on the Moon: Check
- South facing: Check
- Special edition for Chandrayaan-3 Landing Site View Property: Check
- Limited edition of Apollo 15 Moon Landing view lots: Check
The price? Just 83,000 INR. Now, if you are wondering how much land you will be getting, whether it's one acre or ten acres, we don't know.
'Man who owns the Moon'
Now, back to Dennis Hope, the man whose dream was to sell properties on the Moon and Mars. According to their own website, Dennis Hope is "The Man Who Owns the Moon." Here's his story:
"In 1980, a very bright, young, and enterprising Mr. Dennis Hope, inspired by the Homestead Act of 1862 during the westward expansion, visited his local US Government Office for claim registries. At the San Francisco County Seat, he staked a claim for the entire lunar surface, as well as the surfaces of all the other eight planets in our solar system and their moons (except Earth and the sun). Initially, he was considered a crackpot until, after 3 supervisors, 2 floors, and 5 hours later, the main supervisor accepted and registered his claim of ownership."
Just like that, the former car salesman ended up owning the moon within 5 hours, something no country could do for decades. Now, he is selling moon land, and by 2014, he had earned more than 11 million dollars selling pieces of the Moon.
If you think that's all, you're mistaken. Even though the Lunar Embassy claims that THEY ARE THE ONLY LEGAL COMPANY that can sell land on the Moon, this has not stopped other companies from trying to rip off Dennis Hope (sarcasm).
Other sites like the Lunar Registry or Cosmic Registry are also selling pieces of land on the Moon, and people end up buying from them.
These sites have also claimed that various actors like Sushant Rajput, former President Donald Trump, and even Mukesh Ambani have bought Moon land. To prove this, they have posted the most abysmal advertisements on their social networking sites. Check them out:
If you're tired of the Moon, Dennis also sells properties on other planets that he claims to own, such as Mars, Mercury, and Venus.
Visit their site, but please, don't purchase one for yourself!
Indians buying land on the Moon
Thanks to Bollywood, the Moon has always been romanticized. Whether it's Bollywood leading heroes promising their loved ones to bring 'Chand Tare (Moon and Stars)' or comparing them to the Moon or saying "I love you till the moon," the Moon holds a special place in Indian culture. So, when someone suggests you can buy a piece of lunar land to showcase your love for someone, it sounds like a dream come true and the world's best gift, doesn't it?
With the success of Chandrayaan-3, the love for the Moon has grown, and more and more people are purchasing 'moon lands' from these sites to express their affection. Here are some instances:
- On September 8, 2023, Sanjay Mahato from Bengal claimed that he had purchased lunar land worth Rs 10,000 as a gift for his wife.
- He expressed that following the Chandrayaan mission, he felt that the least he could do was to own a piece of land on the Moon.
- Mahato bought the piece of land on the moon from Luna Society International.
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In August, amid the Chandrayaan-3 landing countdown, a paramedic from AIIMS Jodhpur bought land on the Moon for his two daughters.
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Nursing Officer Meena Bishnoi said she bought one acre of land on the Moon in the "Lacus Felicitatis" (Lake of Happiness) region of the Moon.
If you are wondering how you will know that you own land on the Moon, the website, upon receiving payment, will provide you with a certificate claiming that a certain part of the Moon's land is yours.
Here's what Meena Bishnoi received:
Now, here's the question: Is it a scam or not?
Let's understand it legally:
- According to The United Nations-sponsored 1967 Outer Space Treaty, outer space is described as the "province of all mankind" and forbids all nations from claiming territorial sovereignty.
- Article VI of the treaty assigns responsibility for activities in space to States Parties, whether they are carried out by governments or non-governmental entities.
- The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 had been ratified by 102 countries by 2013, including all the major space-faring nations.
So, here's the question: How can you sell something that is not yours?