Scholars Call for a Moratorium on Lunar Industrialization

Why is a race to the moon a problem now?

Rabitz says most people simply do not know how much lunar development is already being planned. Major powers and private companies are moving "full tilt" on infrastructure and resource extraction plans, and the consequences for humanity could be significant, he argues.

"Frankly, I think that it is something that is needed, but not necessarily something that we are very likely to get," Rabitz said of his own moratorium proposal. That candid assessment frames the paper's central tension: the authors see real risks but limited political will to slow down.

The stakes go beyond the environment. A second major concern is unequal access. Countries and corporations that build infrastructure first could gain lasting advantages and effectively control access to specific areas of the moon — shutting out everyone else.

What does international law allow?

Under existing international space law, no country can claim sovereignty over the moon. That legal protection, however, may not survive contact with practical politics.

"With the moon it's absolutely clear that whoever is doing the big infrastructure work (the Americans or the Chinese) is going to be asserting their position, including by defining their own exclusive territories. That shouldn't be the Wild West," Rabitz said.

Without stronger international governance, he cautions, lunar development is likely to become the preserve of a very small number of powerful players — regardless of what the treaties say.

The takeaway here: current law prohibits territorial claims, but nothing stops powerful states from creating facts on the ground through infrastructure alone.

Is restraint realistic?

Rabitz acknowledges that constraining the ambitions of major space powers and space corporations will be very difficult. He does see one partial lever, though: pressure from citizens, civil society, scientists and governments could shape both the trajectory and the pace of lunar industrialization.

The paper closes on process rather than prohibition. It calls for a more inclusive international discussion before large-scale industrial activity begins, ensuring that decisions about the moon account for environmental protection and humanity's shared interests — not just the position of whoever arrives first.

The moon's future, the authors argue, should be decided by more than the few who can reach it.

By Marcus Bennett