New Delhi: At a time when private companies are planning to launch big lunar landers, a ‘warning’ has been issued by World Monuments Fund (WMF).
The Moon has been included on WMF’s 2025 World Monuments Watch list, highlighting growing concern over the preservation of cultural heritage beyond Earth.
The Moon is among 25 endangered sites on the list, reflecting increasing human activity in space and potential risks it poses to historical landmarks.
While the moon is far from Earth, with humans venturing increasingly into space, the experts thought it was the right time to point out this rising concern.
WMF experts felt this was the right time to point out how the ‘space race’ could result in space debris and ‘space tourism’ may threaten significant lunar sites.
Tranquility Base, where Apollo 11 landed on July 20, 1969, and astronaut Neil Armstrong first set foot on, is among the Moon’s vulnerable locations.
According to researchers, around 90 lunar sites are at risk because of private companies and wealthy individuals embarking on space tourism and exploration missions.
It may be pertinent to point out the global concern that exists on this issue.
India is among 52 nations which have signed international agreements like the Artemis Accords, which is aimed to establish norms for preserving space heritage.
But not a lot of progress has been made in getting broader participation and binding agreements to protect lunar sites.
