Benedicte de Montlaur, the organization's president and chief executive, remarked, 'The moon seems so far outside of our scope. But with humans venturing more and more into space, we think it is the right time to get ourselves organized.' This statement emphasizes the organization's proactive approach to protecting cultural heritage as space exploration expands.
The World Monuments Fund identifies the moon as one of the 25 endangered sites on its 2025 World Monuments Watch, highlighting concerns that the new space race could exacerbate space debris and expand tourism in orbit and beyond. The urgency of this recognition underscores the potential risks to not just Earthly but also extraterrestrial heritage.
With a growing number of wealthy people going to space and more governments pursuing human spaceflight, the group warns that more than 90 important sites on the moon could be harmed. The emphasis on the Apollo 11 landing site, Tranquillity Base, raises awareness of the significance of preserving these historical markers of human achievement.
Protections for cultural heritage are typically decided by individual countries, complicating the preservation of international sites like the moon. While the Artemis Accords and a separate UN agreement have been established for protection, the slow progress in signing by key countries highlights the challenges in achieving effective governance over space heritage.
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