SO NEWT GINGRICH’S PROPOSAL TO MAKE THE MOON A STATE isn’t really new — it was floated by some space activists as the “Luna 2010 initiative” back in the late ’80s/early ’90s. Somewhere I’ve got a Luna 2010 button, in fact, a souvenir of the 1990 International Space Development Conference.

It does, however, imply a U.S. withdrawal from the Outer Space Treaty, which forbids “national appropriation” of the moon and other celestial bodies. I’m sure that Newt knows this, and I wonder if he’s setting a space-trap for Romney.

UPDATE: Tim Kyger emails: “Newt actually *introduced* a bill to enable space settlements to enter as states into the federal union; it was modeled after the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 (IIRC). Also, IIRC, I think that Jim Muncy wrote it. It got introduced as an actual bill ca. 1983 – 1985. I have a copy of it somewhere here inside one of about 40 unsorted banker boxes of papers…”

ANOTHER UPDATE: The Man Who Sold The Moon!