Company closed for selling land on moon
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-11-08 08:16

A Chinese company has had its license suspended after it tried to make money by selling land on the moon.

The shadow advances on the moon during a lunar eclipse in January 2001. A Chinese company has had its license suspended after it tried to make money by selling land on the moon.[AFP/File]

The Beijing Lunar Village Aeronautics Science and Technology Co. managed to sell large swathes of pristine lunar property before being shut down, the Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.

The company, claiming to act on behalf of an entity referred to as the Lunar Embassy in China, charged 298 yuan (37 US dollars) for each acre (0.4 hectare) on the moon, according to the report.

Each lucky new owner of lunar soil was issued a "certificate" that ensured property ownership including rights to use the land and minerals up to three kilometers (1.9 miles) underground, Xinhua said.

Li Jie, CEO of Lunar Embassy, said that 34 clients bought 49 acres (20 hectares) of land on the moon in the first three days after his company became operational last month.