On this day, July 20th, 1969, the Apollo 11 project landed astronauts on the moon. Although a flag was planted, the moon was not declared a U. S. territory.
Well before the landing, international ramifications were already being discussed. The Outer Space Treaty, to which the United States is a party, prohibits the moon and other extraterrestrial bodies from hosting nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction. The moon is prohibited from any but peaceful purposes, such as research.
The moon officially belongs to all mankind, and no government can declare it a territory nor claim its resources.
The Outer Space Treaty has been in force since October 10, 1967.
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