Asteroid 433, Eros is lawfully owned by Gregory W. Nemitz since March 3, 2000. Orbital Development is managing the "Eros Project" for Nemitz. The Project was begun to require the US government to officially recognize his ownership of that asteroid. Nemitz estimates his property's value to be more than US$10 trillion.

When NASA permanently landed its NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft on Eros on February 12, 2001, Nemitz sent an invoice to NASA for parking and storage fees of $20, to pay for one full century of rent. Citing its interpretation of the United Nations' Outer Space Treaty of 1967, NASA refused to pay the invoiced amount.

Official Notice was then sent to the United States Department of State informing the agency that NASA had exceeded its authority and had denied Nemitz of his Rights. The Department of State officially responded on August 15, 2003 by also citing its interpretation of the Treaty, that Nemitz's "claim is without legal basis."

Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Eros Project Orbital Development SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Space Analysis and Space OpEds Memory Foam Mattress Review SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News OPINION SPACE The Dream Palace Of The Space Cadets Honolulu HI (SPX) Nov 24, 2005 I spend some time lurking in many online discussion groups concerned with space travel. From this I have learned that these opinion columns have made me something of a bete noir to the pro-space community. People attribute all kinds of sinister motives and bizarre behaviors to me, just because I try to take a detached and skeptical view of manned space flight.