Marketplace All-in-One Is the moon (and its resources) up for grabs?
Feb 11, 2026
Saadia Pekkanen, a University of Washington professor of space law and policy, breaks down who can claim and use lunar resources. She walks through international rules like the Artemis Accords. She explains how extraction is treated, the diplomatic gaps with non-signatories, and why energy and safety needs may shape lunar cooperation.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
No Ownership, Only Resource Rights
- International law bars territorial claims on the moon but allows commercial extraction of resources.
- Saadia Pekkanen compares it to fishing on the high seas where you own what you take, not the ocean.
Artemis Accords Shape Behavior, Not Law
- The Artemis Accords set nonbinding guidelines that 61 countries endorse for lunar behavior.
- Pekkanen says these guidelines help frame safety, cooperation, and resource use even if some countries don't sign.
Physical Constraints Drive Cooperation
- Even without universal signatories, countries will need diplomatic ways to coexist on the moon.
- Pekkanen stays optimistic that physical constraints and cooperation can limit conflict in the harsh lunar environment.