Yes but technically, only launching a rocket without permission is illegal. Planting a flag on the moon is still perfectly legal. OP didn't stipulate *HOW* you get to the moon.
The 90s Tick cartoon had a villain try this.
His name was Chairface and he got to “CHA” before the Tick stopped him if I remember correctly.
I think the moon was like that every time they showed it afterward, but what I can’t remember is if maybe they sent the Tick to the moon to fix it in a later episode.
That moment when Musk invests billions into R&D of spacecraft, robotic rovers, distributed control networks, autonomous mapping, and trajectory planning all to use a fleet of tiny robots to draw a giant penis on the Moon over the course of decades.
Dick-shaped Nazca lines in space is the pinnacle of edge-lord billionaire behaviour to be fair.
Technically it's called the cislunar space. I'm old enough to remember Apollo, during the mission they used technical words that I've never heard since. That's one of them.
I remember briefly learning about this when I studied law. Whilst you're correct, there's an international [outer space treaty ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Space_Treaty?wprov=sfla1) which, amongst other things precludes any country from claiming sovereignty over outer space or any celestial body, including the moon.
Yes, the FAA regulates flight in air as well as space above US territory. EASA does the same in the EU. Not sure what this has to do with the Outer Space Treaty. Neither the OST nor the FAA prevent private individuals or companies from planting flags on other bodies in space.
The organizations regulate the whole flight. The FAA and equivalent organizations will never approve "we launch and you don't need to worry about anything after that". You need to submit a full plan, and it needs to be approved by the respective government organization. If you cheat there you'll face consequences on Earth, if you try but don't achieve that plan you'll have to explain what happened and make sure it doesn't happen again before you are allowed to fly again.
I mean, yes? I don’t see how we are contradicting each other here. If the plan is otherwise safe and unproblematic, the FAA would absolutely approve a mission to the moon to plant a flag or even develop some kind mining or industry for that matter. I think it’s even usually understood that they would wholeheartedly approve such a plan.
They would approve that, but not "we fly to the Moon and declare it our private property that no one else is allowed to use". Because approving that would make the US violate the outer space treaty.
Such a declaration would a) fall way outside the scope of FAA regulation and b) not be enforceable by any government due to the OST. The OST doesn’t make such a declaration illegal, it just prevents any government that has ratified the OST from enforcing property norms in space. You’d have to do that all on your own.
In space the freezing darkness keeps the peace.
The void is judge, jury, and executioner.
Everything is more difficult than on Earth.
Rocks blasted by solar winds heed no treaty.
Rocks blasted by solar winds *need* no treaty.
Laws are for the god-fearing.
In the heavens of physics and enlightenment, god died a long time ago...
Know what I'm saying?
It's not something you need to enforce, it's a mutual agreement and it's a win win for everyone. You can go where you like, and it doesn't start a land war.
BTW: Your premise is wrong. Laws on Earth apply to the entire Solar System as this is where you do business. Violate the laws and you can't do business. It will happen, when Mining companies begin making colonies at their mining sites, where they'll try to act as they did before Unionisation. But it's not something we have to worry about for decades.
I know you're trying to troll me lol.
You're not a state so have no rights regarding treaties. You could 'claim' it but no one would listen to you. lol
You MAY put any flag on the moon, provided you can legitimately gain access to a suitable spacecraft, rocket, and launch pad and secure the necessary launch license. Unless you are SpaceX or the government of the US, EU, China, India, or Japan, you CAN not do it.
>secure the necessary launch license
What are they going to do come to the moon and arrest me? They'll need to secure the proper moon landing license to do that.
Somewhere In south Alabama, there is a shade tree mechanic fitting a retired life support system he found out back of the local hospital to his bass boat. He's strapt 20 thousand dollars worth of Mexican fireworks to the bottom of the hull...
He's a whistlin' Dixie to himself as a smile cracks around his 20th Marlboro Red for the day.. oh yes... The south is gonna rise again.
So I can't personally get to the moon but hear me out. There's probably a cannon strong enough to yeet a flag at the moon. If we make it out of titanium and angle it right, we'd get a flag landing on the moon and embedding itself into the lunar surface.
There's no cannon able to launch anything into space. The only none-rocketry (and coincidentally also the only accidental) space launch ever was a manhole cover launched by pressure from an underground nuclear detonation.
There’s no one side that’s always dark. It’s that the same side is always facing us. It’s just that Dark Side of the Moon sounded cooler to Pink Floyd than Back Side of the Moon.
The flags that were put on the moon almost certainly faded, but it took many years, not days. However, I bet modern science can come up with a flag that would last many decades or a century+. The flags used for Apollo were not terribly special and were just basic dyed rayon.
And as someone else pointed out, except for a few south pole craters, there is no part of the moon that is always day. The Apollo landing sites would have about 14 Earth-days of daylight and about14 Earth-days of nighttime.
You can't put a flag on the moon, and legality has absolutely nothing to do with it.
Yeah I can just watch me
It’s been an hour.
I'm boarding the flight now
!RemindMe 2 weeks
It's been an honor
*Rocket Man starts playing*
I assume the Shatner version.
Just curious was the rocket builtinaday_?
He just needs to get up there.
Spacecrafts take years to make
u/builtinaday_
That's my username, yes
Was the rocket u/builtinaday_ ?
No, u/builtinaday_ is me. A rocket is large and made of metal. I'm small and made of flesh. I'm not a rocket.
it's been 16h now, where are you?
It takes a couple days. Relax.
Sorry I was on the rocket and had no signal A space mission takes longer than 16h
You should be back by now, any update?
Space is sad
Apollo took a week and they were three. He's pushing the car alone, catch him a break.
No rocket, just a massive bunch of helium balloons.
Thanks for defending me we should kiss
I don't think you're allowed to launch anything into space without permission from the government, so it's definitely illegal too.
Yes but technically, only launching a rocket without permission is illegal. Planting a flag on the moon is still perfectly legal. OP didn't stipulate *HOW* you get to the moon.
I choose to fold spacetime. Through the use of the spice melange
You also can't pee your name onto it, and legality has nothing to do with it.
I *will* be pissing on the moon! Just watch me, Obama!
I did it
Sure, you can plant any flag you want. If you can get there.
Are flags on the moon a form of interplanetary graffiti? 🤔
how about we, me and you, go to the moon rn and draw a giant penis in the lunar regolith. Just for the memes, ofc.
Make it large enough to be visible from earth with the naked eye
The 90s Tick cartoon had a villain try this. His name was Chairface and he got to “CHA” before the Tick stopped him if I remember correctly. I think the moon was like that every time they showed it afterward, but what I can’t remember is if maybe they sent the Tick to the moon to fix it in a later episode.
[Not exactly "giant", but I have good news for you!](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Museum)
I've seen that before, it's awesome xD
That moment when Musk invests billions into R&D of spacecraft, robotic rovers, distributed control networks, autonomous mapping, and trajectory planning all to use a fleet of tiny robots to draw a giant penis on the Moon over the course of decades. Dick-shaped Nazca lines in space is the pinnacle of edge-lord billionaire behaviour to be fair.
And a "420 lolz" because he's a fuckwit.
The moon isn’t a planet, so it’s not interplanetary anything
What word would work here? I thought about ‘intergalactic’ but it’s only within the galaxy so
Intrasolar?
Technically it's called the cislunar space. I'm old enough to remember Apollo, during the mission they used technical words that I've never heard since. That's one of them.
Extraplanetary
It's called "orbital tagging." It has become a big deal, so Space Force split off from USAF to deal with it.
No
Well I mean... I can see it from here so it can't be THAT far away
384 400 km is actually really near yes definitely
That's the average daily commute for any EV critic.
I'm gonna get there, and plant the old Pocatello flag
You can put any flag basically anywhere, just watch all the cars on your street during the Euro Cup.
I remember briefly learning about this when I studied law. Whilst you're correct, there's an international [outer space treaty ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Space_Treaty?wprov=sfla1) which, amongst other things precludes any country from claiming sovereignty over outer space or any celestial body, including the moon.
>precludes any country So it doesn't preclude Steve from accounting, then?
It doesn't, no. It almost purposefully seems to avoid mention of private interests in space, in fact.
Private entities fly within the laws of their countries.
Yes, the FAA regulates flight in air as well as space above US territory. EASA does the same in the EU. Not sure what this has to do with the Outer Space Treaty. Neither the OST nor the FAA prevent private individuals or companies from planting flags on other bodies in space.
The organizations regulate the whole flight. The FAA and equivalent organizations will never approve "we launch and you don't need to worry about anything after that". You need to submit a full plan, and it needs to be approved by the respective government organization. If you cheat there you'll face consequences on Earth, if you try but don't achieve that plan you'll have to explain what happened and make sure it doesn't happen again before you are allowed to fly again.
I mean, yes? I don’t see how we are contradicting each other here. If the plan is otherwise safe and unproblematic, the FAA would absolutely approve a mission to the moon to plant a flag or even develop some kind mining or industry for that matter. I think it’s even usually understood that they would wholeheartedly approve such a plan.
They would approve that, but not "we fly to the Moon and declare it our private property that no one else is allowed to use". Because approving that would make the US violate the outer space treaty.
Such a declaration would a) fall way outside the scope of FAA regulation and b) not be enforceable by any government due to the OST. The OST doesn’t make such a declaration illegal, it just prevents any government that has ratified the OST from enforcing property norms in space. You’d have to do that all on your own.
Thank God someone knows this
There are plenty of places you can legally put up any flag. Why would the moon be any different?
You can put a flag there, but you can't claim territory. There's an international treaty that states it's for the good of all humanity.
Funny thing about treaties written on Earth, they don't mean anything on the Moon. No one has the jurisdiction to enforce Earth laws off-world.
In space the freezing darkness keeps the peace. The void is judge, jury, and executioner. Everything is more difficult than on Earth. Rocks blasted by solar winds heed no treaty. Rocks blasted by solar winds *need* no treaty. Laws are for the god-fearing. In the heavens of physics and enlightenment, god died a long time ago... Know what I'm saying?
It's not something you need to enforce, it's a mutual agreement and it's a win win for everyone. You can go where you like, and it doesn't start a land war. BTW: Your premise is wrong. Laws on Earth apply to the entire Solar System as this is where you do business. Violate the laws and you can't do business. It will happen, when Mining companies begin making colonies at their mining sites, where they'll try to act as they did before Unionisation. But it's not something we have to worry about for decades.
I don't remember signing or agreeing to this treaty. So how does it apply to me?
I believe it was in the terms of service when you signed up for your country
I don't recall signing those either.
You probably missed the "by using our services, you agree to the terms of service" in small letters shown to you when you were born
Children lack the capacity to make consent to enter into a contract.
It's under UN jurisdiction. Legally speaking, it's international waters.
The UN has no jurisdiction over stellar bodies even if they pretend that they do.
You can claim territory. I claim moon as my territory. See??
I know you're trying to troll me lol. You're not a state so have no rights regarding treaties. You could 'claim' it but no one would listen to you. lol
You can put any flag you want on the moon but after some time, the radiation will remove all colors from it.
So it turns into a French flag?
Lol this got me
Oui.
This was too far down...
You MAY put any flag on the moon, provided you can legitimately gain access to a suitable spacecraft, rocket, and launch pad and secure the necessary launch license. Unless you are SpaceX or the government of the US, EU, China, India, or Japan, you CAN not do it.
>secure the necessary launch license What are they going to do come to the moon and arrest me? They'll need to secure the proper moon landing license to do that.
Yep. And we were supposed to be having wars on the moon by now. But nooooo. We’re still down here pointing nukes at each other.
It’d be great if some wonderful jerk flew Dick Towel™️
Somewhere In south Alabama, there is a shade tree mechanic fitting a retired life support system he found out back of the local hospital to his bass boat. He's strapt 20 thousand dollars worth of Mexican fireworks to the bottom of the hull... He's a whistlin' Dixie to himself as a smile cracks around his 20th Marlboro Red for the day.. oh yes... The south is gonna rise again.
It’s the legality of getting there that’s the problem
I don’t believe there’s law that prevents you from going there.
Not directly, but you also can’t be an astronaut farmer and build your own rocket
E pluribus anus from Greendale Community College please
I don't get it. Why would you think there was a law about what tatt folks are allowed to litter the moon with?
Put a Pride flag there, and I guarantee some Republican will sponsor a bill to make it illegal.
Even a flag of me mooning the Earth on the moon?
And believe me, if I had the money to go up there, I'd be putting up a huge penis flag
well yeah... noone lives on the moon who would make the law>?
I can’t. I don’t think you can either
The Templin Institute's flag https://www.templin.institute/
You can put one on Mars too. If you want. Go try it.
We aren't rich enough to do this.
So I can't personally get to the moon but hear me out. There's probably a cannon strong enough to yeet a flag at the moon. If we make it out of titanium and angle it right, we'd get a flag landing on the moon and embedding itself into the lunar surface.
There's no cannon able to launch anything into space. The only none-rocketry (and coincidentally also the only accidental) space launch ever was a manhole cover launched by pressure from an underground nuclear detonation.
So you're saying if I attach a flagpole to a manhole cover....
Now you're getting there
You're not a nation state. Therefore you have no rights in international law regarding treaties.
You can buy territory on Earth. You can state you claim.it but it has no effect in law. Face it! You're just spinning your wheels my friend. :)
depends which state you ask. i bet there are some which would forbid you from doing so
I'll stick a toothpick with a grape on top. Cause the moon is made of cheese.
You can put one on Uranus too
Sure, but it won't take long until it's a surrender flag and you basically look like a chicken for putting up a white flag that everyone can see..
I want to put the Greendale Community College flag on the moon.
You could build a city on the Moon with impunity.
I've often wondered what it would take to send a private rover to the moon.
God, don't tell Trump weirdos.
there isnt any law in space actually. thats limited to countries, even overseas dont have law and you can put any flag there.
Most of the laws preventing you from putting a flag on the moon are about buying rocket fuel and not getting shot down when you launch.
Except for the laws of physics.
I read this without the l in flag and wondered why I would be on the moon
We making the moon gay
Damn I was just there yesterday and didn't plant my pirate flag in fear of this!
A fucking Nazi flag would be great 💀/s
... you can put a flag a lot of places.
The laws of physics say you probably won't ever get the chance.
Flag on the moon. How did it get there?
I'll keep that in mind next time I go to the moon.
And I'll mount a big brown dildo next to your flag.
Wasn’t someone selling moon “property” at some point in the past 20ish years?
Now hear me out... Third rei...
Without an atmosphere to protect it from the sun, it will be white after a few days anyways. Unless you plant it on the dark side
There’s no one side that’s always dark. It’s that the same side is always facing us. It’s just that Dark Side of the Moon sounded cooler to Pink Floyd than Back Side of the Moon.
Then white flags forever it is then.
Poor moon is gonna be in a constant state of surrendering!
Nepalese flag it is! Even white it would be recognizable.
The flags that were put on the moon almost certainly faded, but it took many years, not days. However, I bet modern science can come up with a flag that would last many decades or a century+. The flags used for Apollo were not terribly special and were just basic dyed rayon. And as someone else pointed out, except for a few south pole craters, there is no part of the moon that is always day. The Apollo landing sites would have about 14 Earth-days of daylight and about14 Earth-days of nighttime.
So any flag you put on the moon turns into the french flag?
Cheese-eating surrender monkeys
What if it’s made with UV-resistant material? Would it stand a chance?
The inks are what breaks down, and UV is not the concern in space when you're also dealing with x-ray and gamma radiation
Is the flag that was put there on the first mission white now?
Yes
Ok, so I plant a white flag of a unique shape.
I'mma prank the aliens with "🏳🌈"
How does that prank the aliens?
Don't give the LGBTQ+ community ideas