"Because the stars don't belong to a government or a company," Maya said, pointing up at a bright twinkling light in the constellation of Lyra. "They belong to everyone. NASA's actual motto is 'For the Benefit of All.' If you had bought one, it would just be on a piece of paper in a drawer. But looking at them up here? This is free, and it's already ours to enjoy."
Leo sat in front of his laptop with his credit card in hand, ready to buy the ultimate anniversary gift for his partner, Maya. He typed "buy a star NASA" into the search bar, expecting to find an official government page where he could pay a fee and have a giant ball of burning gas officially named "Maya’s Light."
According to official policies from NASA and statements from the American Astronomical Society , you cannot actually buy or name a star through NASA. The space agency is focused on exploration and research, not commercial naming rights. In fact, the scientific community only recognizes star names assigned by the International Astronomical Union, which are usually just strings of numbers and coordinates.