The Verge Argues That the Artemis Moon Base Project Is ‘Legally Dubious’ – Twitchy

Our own Grateful Calvin just compiled some of the media’s worst takes on Wednesday’s launch of the Artemis II rocket, which will fly around the moon and return to Earth. No moon landing this time, but it’s a good test run.

We’ve found perhaps the worst take on the Artemis II launch. The Verge, which we’ve never heard of, posted that the Artemis moon base project is “legally dubious.”

The Artemis Moon base project is legally dubious https://t.co/V4VqabaX5G

— The Verge (@verge) April 1, 2026

Your face is dubious

— 🍹 Princess Consuela Banana-Hammock (@kimmie_c_) April 1, 2026

Georgina Torbet examines whether the United States’ plan to establish a moon base eventually violates international law.

There isn’t a huge amount of international law that applies to space exploration, but what there is is very clear in one regard: No one owns the Moon. The Outer Space Treaty (which was signed nearly 60 years ago but is still the main basis for international law in space today, if you can believe it) is very explicit regarding the principle of non-appropriation, meaning that nations can’t claim sovereignty over any body in space. But what about extracting resources? There, we get into sticky territory.

“The US considers that resource extraction is not appropriation,” says Cassandra Steer, space law expert and founder of the Australasian Centre for Space Governance. Many international space lawyers, including Steer, have argued that this is unlawful. “That is an incorrect interpretation of the Outer Space Treaty. You’re trying to carve out a loophole.” After all, if a nation started digging up resources from a territory it didn’t have claim to on Earth these days, that would cause a few legal problems.

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We’re the United States. There is no such thing as international law, much less in space, despite what “international space lawyers” say.

A district judge just ruled they must return immediately.

— JWF (@JammieWF) April 2, 2026

pic.twitter.com/kCLzhEdyYQ

— Marie Arf 🇺🇸 🇮🇱 (@schwingcat) April 2, 2026

Oh go to hell.

— Will Collier (@willcollier) April 1, 2026

We checked international law and it’s fine. pic.twitter.com/WL9ht5HEyS

— Camo Aquaticus (@CamoDiver) April 1, 2026

Your mom is legally dubious

— Kyle Mann (@The_Kyle_Mann) April 1, 2026

pic.twitter.com/n02wgn6rQL

— Jason Ballard (@JasonDBallard) April 2, 2026

Lmao Georgina Torbet the author of this piece on Artemis. Lollllll pic.twitter.com/5CuXkY2Lzn

— Lunar Surfer (@TheLunarSurfer) April 1, 2026

I hate to break it to you buttercup, but the United States 🇺🇸 IS international law.

The empire does not stop expanding because some other country is offended.

— Ryan Duff (@ryancduff) April 1, 2026

Don’t worry. We’ll totes do a land acknowledgement when we get there.

— Wisconsinite (@2_the_Republic) April 1, 2026

Dubious to whom?? Only America been there, we stuck a flag on it. It’s ours.

— Suffy 🦢 (@drsuffy) April 2, 2026

Someone call the moon police.

— John Aziz (@aziz0nomics) April 2, 2026

If it violates International law but not American law, then it doesn’t violate the law.

— Moody Blueliner (@MoodyBlueliner) April 1, 2026

Legally dubious?

What are you gonna call the moon cops?

Shut up, nerd.

— Spaceballs The X Account (@Grunt2A) April 1, 2026

International law is fake.

— Paul Bullard (@paulbullard) April 2, 2026

Whose permission do we need to establish a base on the moon? We’re the indigenous people there.

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Editor’s Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives.

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