Property of the Moon – Provision of International Public Law vs. Private Initiatives

The goal of this thesis is to contribute to the understanding of the legal regulations of Outer Space and the Moon and to answer the question of whether the sale of land on the Moon is in accordance with international law. At first, the author will define the term of international space. Secondly, Outer Space which is predominantly exulted by the fundamental instrument of space law - the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies - will be characterised. This legal regulation is further expanded on by the Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies. Attention will also be given to private initiatives relating to purported claims to proprietary rights to plots of land on the Moon. The thesis will evaluate the arguments arising from international law as well as the arguments from the sphere of private initiatives. The last chapter will include an analysis of the legal regulation of mining of the Moon's natural resources and the proprietary claims thereto.