It joined the Outer Space Treaty in March and alerted commercial airlines and the International Maritime Organisation to the launch schedule.

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Gump said under the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, nations cannot claim sovereignty in space but you can utilize the resources of space.

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The Outer Space Treaty provides a legal framework for the international use of space for peaceful purposes, including the moon and other celestial bodies.

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The Outer Space Treaty, a 1967 agreement that forms the basis of international space law, has been signed by every major power on Earth.

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Dempsey pointed out that at the time the U.N. drafted the Outer Space Treaty, there were only two spacefaring nations -- the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

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The Outer Space Treaty says governments cannot claim ownership of the lunar surface and that stations and installations on the moon shall be open to others, said Hedman.

CNN: Who owns the moon? It's 'complicated,' say experts

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty provides for "free access to all areas of celestial bodies" by any nation, but isn't clear about commercial rights, said Henry Hertzfeld, who researches space policy at George Washington University.

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The Moon Agreement builds upon the Outer Space Treaty but also says that any natural resources found on the moon are part of "the common heritage of mankind" - in other words, they must be shared.

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In 1980, the Nevada-based entrepreneur claimed ownership of the moon after finding what he calls a loophole in the 1967 United Nations Outer Space Treaty, which forbids countries from owning the moon but, according to Hope, does not forbid individuals from owning it.

CNN: Who owns the moon? It's 'complicated,' say experts