Moon Declared Threatened Cultural Site Amid Space Exploration Rise

The Moon has been officially added to the World Monuments Fund's 2025 list of threatened cultural heritage sites, marking the first time a celestial body has received this designation. This historic decision highlights the vulnerability of lunar artifacts, including Neil Armstrong's boot prints and other remnants from the Apollo 11 mission, due to increasing commercial lunar activities and tourism. WMF President Bénédicte de Montlaur emphasized the need for international strategies to preserve these sites, which are integral to humanity's achievements in space exploration. Experts express concerns that future missions could lead to looting and damage of significant lunar locations, which currently house over 90 historic artifacts. The urgency for protective measures is heightened ahead of NASA’s Artemis III mission scheduled for 2027, which will be the first crewed lunar landing since 1972. Other sites on the WMF's list include locations facing challenges from climate change and conflict, underscoring the universal need for heritage preservation efforts.