Buying the Moon

This story reminds us of a bumper sticker we used to have that read, "Earth first, we'll strip mine the other planets later."

For those who can't decide what to give Mom this Mother's Day, a leading advocate for lunar exploration and settlement believes an acre of land on the moon might fit the bill.

Lunar International, a company that offers lunar land claims to the public in order to support future lunar exploration efforts, has released new Mother's Day gift packages starting at less than $40. Each set includes land claims to two acres of property on the moon, which is more than enough room for that gazebo Mom has always wanted.

"Land on the moon makes for a unique, affordable and fun Mother's Day gift, and it's almost certainly something your mom doesn't already have," said Jackson James, the president of Lunar International. "And, let's face it, an acre of moon property is a lot more interesting than flowers and chocolate."

Thanks in part to the popularity of the Google Lunar X Prize, the dream that non-astronauts can travel to outer space someday appears to be imminently achievable. A handful of organizations, including Lunar International, believe that private ownership and development of land on the moon will be the next logical step.

Lunar International donates a portion of each sale to the Society for Lunar Exploration and Development, an organization attempting to establish a system that allows regular Earth-bound citizens to own moon property. Should the group achieve its goals, those who purchased land claims through Lunar International would enjoy full property rights to their slice of real estate on the moon.

Each Mother's Day gift set from Lunar International includes two side-by-side land claims, meaning that Mom will own the little moon house next door to you should the company succeed. While packages are available in lunar regions that sound pleasant and relaxing, like the Sea of Tranquility and the Bay of Rainbows, properties are also available in the vast and ominous Ocean of Storms for those trying to send mom a subtle message about their unsatisfying childhood.

If Mom is the type who requires a GPS to make it to the other side of town safely, she will take comfort in the satellite photograph and geographic coordinates of her new property included in each gift package to help her find her new acre of the moon with a telescope -- or, perhaps in the not-too-distant future, during a personal visit to outer space.

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