The global recession has already hit property prices around the world, but the latest real estate victim is proving the crisis to be extraterrestrial too.

Sales of land on the moon, Venus and Mars in January and February were close to zero, say officials at the Lunar Embassy in Prague.

To boost sales, the embassy has cut prices down by 20 percent.

United Nations member states signed a treaty in 1967, banning countries from claiming rights for ownership of space objects. But since 1980, some 18 lunar embassies opened around the world, offering ownership of land on the moon, Venus and Mars.

(Soundbite) (Czech) Moon Embassy Spokesman, Filip Rajchart:

"The certificate is really a licence for a piece of the moon. This place really exists on the moon. How people will claim their right in the far future only time will tell. We can not guarantee that now."