This study reviews the history and principles behind safety zones in outer space and other domains. It reviews the requirements such zones place on operators and the obligations they can create for other states and actors.

The success of a lunar settlement will be significantly and quantifiably tied to the presence or absence of pragmatic zoning policy. Zoning and land use policies can improve the efficiency of infrastructure and cost effectiveness of development.

Sustained presence in outer space requires a categorical shift in thinking, going beyond “exploration” to think instead about tenure: policies rooted in experience, lessons learned from historic engagements with frontiers, and long term thinking, in order to construct strong foundations and longevity of presence.