On Saturday, October 18, 2014 12:36:59 AM UTC-6, RichA wrote:
Why does anyone on Earth have the right to dictate who can claim space objects?

http://phys.org/news/2014-10-moon.html

They're only dictating to other Earthlings. Property rights of intelligent
aliens in their own home worlds and other bodies they are utilizing are not
affected by the UN Moon Treaty - an expedient adopted at the time of the Cold
War to prevent a race to colonization in space from creating inequality and
leading to conflict on Earth.

This is not to say that the arrangement is well-advised; clearly, it will need
to be revisited to permit effective use of the Solar System.

John Savard