Recently, U.S. rapper Lil Uzi Vert announced plans to purchase a planet, sparking curiosity: Is this feasible under the law, or just a publicity stunt?
With thousands of exoplanets discovered, hopes of finding extraterrestrial life are higher than ever, alongside interest in space resource exploitation. As reported by Inverse on July 30, 2021, Lil Uzi Vert aims to buy WASP-127b, a world 520 light-years from our Solar System, potentially becoming the first person to legally own a planet.
Michelle Hanlon, co-director of the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi, is unequivocal: It's legally impossible to buy a planet. No Earth-based authority can register or transfer ownership of celestial bodies.
The primary barrier is the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which permits exploration and use of space but prohibits any state from claiming sovereignty over celestial bodies. The U.S. 2015 SPACE Act partially amends this for American companies, allowing them to extract and own resources from planets or asteroids—but not the bodies themselves.
While Lil Uzi Vert's claim appears to be a publicity move, it highlights real risks. Online scams selling plots on the Moon or other worlds hold no legal weight, regardless of "deeds." Without enforceable access, such ownership is meaningless.
