The World Monuments Fund (WMF) has added the Moon to its list of endangered cultural heritage sites, as reported by The Guardian.
However, the organization is not concerned about the preservation of the Moon itself. Instead, it is focused on the fate of cultural objects left behind by astronauts, such as the footprints of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, a memorial disk, and a video camera.
These items could be at risk of damage from future tourists. The WMF has raised concerns about the increasing number of planned commercial spaceflights, noting that there are currently no established protocols for preserving human artifacts beyond Earth.
NASA’s Artemis III mission to the Moon is scheduled for mid-2027.
The WMF list currently includes 25 objects.
In June 2024, Kursiv Uzbekistan reported that the Chinese probe Chang’e-6 successfully landed on the far side of the Moon.
