Imagine owning a piece of land on the Moon, a celestial property that can elevate your status to intergalactic heights. It may sound like a far-fetched dream, but some social media users claim that Dennis Hope has been selling land on the Moon for over 35 years, amassing a fortune of more than $10 million. However, the reality behind this extraterrestrial venture is not as straightforward as it seems.
'Lunar Property' is a Failure to Launch
In the 1980s, Dennis Hope, a man who was freshly divorced and unemployed, embarked on a quest to make a fortune in real estate. His target? The Moon. Hope believed he had uncovered a legal loophole in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which states that no nation can have sovereignty or control over any satellite bodies. He interpreted this to mean that private citizens could claim ownership of the Moon. Writing a declaration to the United Nations in November 1980, he staked his claim. However, the truth is far from what Hope envisioned.
According to Tanja Masson-Zwaan, president of the International Institute of Space Law in the Netherlands, the UN Outer Space Treaty applies to both governments and their private citizens. Thus, Hope's claims of lunar ownership are invalid. However, this legal obstacle hasn't deterred Hope from pursuing his lunar aspirations.
On his website, Hope proudly declares that he has sold over 600 million acres of land on the Moon. He also offers land on Jupiter's third moon, Mars, Venus, and Mercury. Interested buyers can purchase one acre of "lunar property" for $19.99, with additional costs for shipping, handling, a "lunar tax," and an official copy of the deed. Hope even provides discounts for larger plot purchases. For those with grand ambitions, he offers the opportunity to buy Pluto for a staggering $250,000. Despite his entrepreneurial endeavors, Hope's claims do not grant any legal ownership rights.
Missing Context: The Reality of Lunar Sales
Based on our research, we rate the claim that Dennis Hope has been selling land on the moon for the past 35 years as missing context. While Hope does indeed boast about his sales and has generated approximately $12 million from his extraterrestrial ventures, his claims lack legal validity. The UN Outer Space Treaty applies to individuals, rendering Hope's interpretation of the loophole inaccurate.
Our Fact-Check Sources:
- USA TODAY, Aug. 9, Life on the Red Planet? NASA is looking for 4 people to live inside their 3D-printed Mars module for a year
- NASA, Aug. 6, NASA is Recruiting for Yearlong Simulated Mars Mission
- Business Insider, March 19, 2013, The Man Who 'Owns' The Moon Says His Galactic Government Could Solve The Federal Deficit
- U.S. News and World Report, March 25, 2013, Meet the Man Who Owns the Moon
- Lunar Embassy, accessed Aug. 20, About Our Founder Dennis Hope
- Lunar Embassy, accessed Aug. 20, Pluto (in its entirety)
- Politico, June 13, 2019, Who owns the moon?
- National Geographic, July 17, 2009, Who Owns the Moon? The Galatic Government vs. the UN
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(Note: The original article contained some unrelated and external details that have been omitted from this revised version for a better user experience.)