Do you need special permission to land something on the moon? - By Morgan Smith - Slate Magazine
2007/10/08/0949RTFA: http://www.slate.com/id/2174392/nav/tap3/
Will these companies need special permission to put something on the moon?Not exactly. You don’t need anyone to sign off on a lunar landing, but you do need a permit to launch anything into space from Earth. Governments oversee private space activity through the framework provided by the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which has been signed by 91 nations, including all the major space-faring countries. The treaty restricts the exploration of outer space to peaceful purposes and says it should be performed for the benefit of all nations. Article VI specifically addresses nongovernmental entities in space; it declares nations should “require authorization” and “continuing supervision” of citizens’ actions, but it does not stipulate how this might be accomplished.
I love the caption: “the moon.”