Rainer Zitelmann argues for private property rights in future lunar settlement

Rainer Zitelmann, a German historian, has published a book arguing that the future of space exploration and settlement should be driven by private ownership and market competition rather than government control. He emphasizes the strategic importance of space, citing conflicts in Ukraine, Iran, and the South China Sea, and suggests that property rights are essential to prevent lunar resources from becoming a source of conflict. He criticizes current government programs for treating space workers as serfs and proposes that customary rights from the Artemis Accords could be used to create a market for lunar property.