The FAA lets companies stake a claim to landing spots on the moon

08 Feb 2015 • engadget.com

That said, the letter also mentions that the US State department was already worried that the current framework was “ill-equipped” to follow what the government agreed to in the UN’s Outer Space treaty way back in 1967. The treaty requires countries to both authorize and supervise any non-governmental activities occurring in space: it also prohibits nation claims to celestial bodies and demand that anything occurring out there (including on the Moon) should benefit all countries. (emphasis mine)

That’s pretty forward thinking for 1967.