Outer Space Treaty - Who owns the moon and the planets? Aliens? Mankind?

The United Nations concluded, on 27.01.1967 the "Outer Space Treaty" (which came into force on 10.10.1967), in which the Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space including the Moon and other celestial bodies, it was decided. The Outer Space Treaty is based on "the common interest of all mankind to the use of outer space for peaceful purposes": It prohibits the movement of weapons of mass destruction into space, but allows all States civil space and space exploration. Under the Treaty the states are also liable for damage caused by them into space placed objects.

Because the contract only to the governments forbade the All (or portions thereof) to yourself to take, some businessmen saw the private purchase of moons and planets possible. In 1979, then became the UN of "Moon Treaty" submitted for signature. The Moon Treaty is to eliminate all property claims in space (by governments and individuals). In 1984 the contract was signed and ratified. However, the contract is unofficially as a failure because it only 16 countries (Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Guatemala, India, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Austria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Romania and Uruguay) signed. Since that time traveled to any of the signatory nations to space, the contract was purely practically worthless. Specific resistance at that time came from the USA, as they saw allegedly compromised their rights to profits and resources.