The World Monuments Fund (WMF) included the Moon in its 2025 list of 25 at-risk cultural heritage sites for the first time, emphasizing the need for preservation efforts due to at least 90 threatened sites from the new rush for exploration and space tourism, specifically those of the first moon landings.
The WMF is drawing attention to more than 90 lunar locations, including Tranquility Base and artifacts from the Apollo 11 landing site, which preserves the bootprints of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. These sites commemorate humanity's first steps beyond Earth and are considered cultural heritage.
“For the first time, the Moon has been included to reflect the urgent need to recognize and preserve artifacts that testify to humanity's first steps beyond Earth—a defining moment in our shared history,” said Bénédicte de Montlaur, President and CEO of WMF. The inclusion underscores the organization's commitment to safeguarding heritage sites facing new types of threats.
Specialists from the WMF fear possible looting and destruction of the Moon's artifacts as a result of planned commercial flights. “Exploitative visitation, souveniring, and looting by future missions and private lunar exploration could eventually compromise this truly unique cultural heritage, removing artifacts and forever erasing iconic prints and tracks from the Moon's surface,” they stated, according to The New York Times.
There are more than 100 artifacts on the Moon, including physical objects like planted flags, cameras, and memorials, as well as the first imprints left by lunar landers and astronauts' feet. These items remain vulnerable in the absence of protective measures.
NASA's Artemis III mission is scheduled for April 2027 and will be the first crewed Moon landing since 1972. After the mission, an increase in trips to the Moon, particularly those funded privately, is expected. The surge in lunar activity heightens the urgency for establishing preservation protocols.
Companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, among others, announced plans for private Moon travel, with SpaceX's Starship chosen as the lander for Artemis missions. The commercialization of space travel introduces new challenges for protecting lunar heritage sites.
Since 2020, the United States and 51 other countries signed the Artemis Accords, which outline non-binding norms for lunar exploration, including the protection of historic landing sites. However, these accords lack specific guidelines for implementation, and enforcement mechanisms remain elusive.
“The inclusion of the Moon serves as a reminder that safeguarding heritage on Earth or beyond requires proactive and collaborative solutions that anticipate emerging threats and set a precedent for preservation in new contexts,” said de Montlaur, according to IFLScience. The WMF emphasizes the need for international agreements to protect lunar heritage sites as space exploration and tourism accelerate.
The WMF warns that lunar heritage sites could face harm without international agreements to safeguard them as space exploration and tourism accelerate, highlighting the risks posed by human activities conducted without preservation protocols. Increased human activities, including private Moon travel, threaten these locations.
“Safeguarding lunar heritage will prevent damage from accelerating private and governmental activities in space, ensuring these artifacts endure for future generations,” added de Montlaur, according to The Art Newspaper. The WMF's initiative aims to invite a public debate on the impact of the new space age on the cultural and natural landscape of the Moon.
The World Monuments Fund launched its Watch List in 1996 to raise awareness about the importance of preserving historic sites and heritage. The WMF publishes a list of endangered sites every two years to raise awareness and spur action to preserve artifacts and sites around the world.
“The Moon doesn't belong to anybody. It is a symbol of hope and the future,” said de Montlaur, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to safeguard lunar heritage, as reported by The New York Times. Protecting the Moon's heritage sites requires international collaboration and the establishment of preservation protocols to ensure these artifacts endure for future generations.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.