Originally Posted by
kidchest
So I've been thinking, if the US were to reach mars and return to the moon, could we colonize and claim both celestial bodies as part of our country?
From what I've read, the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 prohibits nations from claiming ownership of anything in space that they didn't put there themselves. But there is a loophole, do we really need to abide by this treaty? What is the consequence if we just break it? Think about the potential for the US to colonize entire moons and planets.
In addition, how far are we aware from a manned mission to mars?