Protecting historical sites on the Moon is a growing concern as lunar exploration ramps up. The Apollo landing sites, for instance, are irreplaceable cultural and scientific artifacts, with only about 100 objects left behind from those missions. The challenge is that the Moon’s environment—extreme temperatures, micrometeorite impacts, and solar radiation—can degrade materials over time. Add to that the increasing activity from private companies and nations planning lunar bases, and there’s a real risk of disturbance or destruction.
Here's a breakdown of the situation:
Why the Urgency?
- Increased Lunar Activity: More missions, including potential tourism, resource extraction, and permanent settlements, mean a higher risk of disturbing or damaging existing historical sites.
- Lack of Binding International Law: While the 1967 Outer Space Treaty outlines principles for peaceful exploration, there isn't a dedicated, universally binding international agreement specifically addressing lunar heritage protection.
- Vulnerability of Sites: Lunar sites lack an atmosphere, meaning footprints and artifacts left behind are incredibly well-preserved but also susceptible to "sandblasting" effects from rocket thrusters, dust lofting, and accidental damage from future landers or rovers.
What's Being Done?
- World Monuments Fund (WMF) and ICOMOS: The Moon was recently included on the World Monuments Fund's 2025 Watch List, a significant step in raising global awareness and advocating for its preservation. This nomination came from the International Scientific Committee on Aerospace Heritage (ISCoAH) under ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites). They aim to establish international heritage protections, drawing inspiration from agreements like the Antarctic Treaty System.
- Artemis Accords: Led by the United States, the Artemis Accords are a set of principles for lunar exploration that acknowledge the historical value of space exploration sites and commit signatories to developing practices to protect that heritage. While not legally binding in the same way as a treaty, they provide a framework for responsible behavior.
- "One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act": The U.S. has enacted its own legislation requiring American companies and contractors working with NASA on lunar missions to avoid disturbing U.S. heritage sites, like the Apollo landing locations. This builds on NASA's non-binding guidelines from 2011 which recommend "exclusion zones" around these sites.
- Advocacy Groups: Organizations like "For All Moonkind" are actively advocating for an international framework to protect lunar heritage, pushing for the UN to take action.
Challenges:
- Defining "Heritage": What constitutes a "historical site" on the Moon? Beyond landing sites, should it include impact craters from early probes or even more recent artistic installations?
- Enforcement: Without a strong, globally recognized and enforced legal framework, protecting these sites relies heavily on the goodwill and self-regulation of spacefaring nations and private entities.
- Balancing Exploration and Preservation: The need to protect heritage must be balanced with the desire to continue exploring and utilizing the Moon for scientific, commercial, and even potential settlement purposes.
- Technological Limitations: Safely revisiting historical sites without causing damage due to rocket exhaust or dust is a significant technical challenge.
In essence, there's a growing recognition of the need to protect these unique historical sites on the Moon. While progress is being made through international advocacy, national legislation, and voluntary accords, the race is on to establish more comprehensive and binding protections before increased lunar activity makes irreversible changes to humanity's shared heritage on the Moon.