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Ice on the Moon: Staking a Claim Introduction Since Prospector might be the first craft to find ice, does that mean it would belong to the United States. The answer is no. According to the terms of the United Nations Treaty on Outer Space, signed by the United States and other nations in 1966, no country can own the moon. Former NASA astronaut Phillip Chapman, now with the Center for Enterprise in Space of Scottsdale, Ariz., said rules should be formulated governing the rights to lunar ice. Furthermore, the Lunar Prospector mission should not provide treasure maps for U.S. rivals in a possible cold rush. Ownership is a human trait; it is as common as the air we breath. A person is willing to sacrifice almost everything to be an owner of something; for example a small amount of acreage or a small shop to sell some goods required by other people in society. Very often there are differences as to who should own the property or whether the prices in a shop are too exorbitant. Justice needs to be served. At this point people design governments to ensure that justice based on reasonable laws which in turn are based upon the society's value system are enforced. [CONTINUE]