Lunar Heritage at Risk: Archaeology Offers Lessons for Future Space Colonies

On November 19, 1969, the Apollo 12 mission successfully touched down on the Moon, inadvertently damaging the nearby Surveyor 3 probe from 1967. NASA's recommendations from 2011 suggest that future lunar missions should maintain a distance of at least two kilometers from heritage sites, such as Apollo 11, although this distance remains tentative. Teasel Muir-Harmony and Todd Mosher highlighted the lack of international legal protections for lunar heritage, even with the 1967 Outer Space Treaty ensuring ownership rights for space objects. Since 2020, applicants for US federal licenses must adhere to NASA's guidelines, while non-US entities are not required to comply. With an anticipated 100 lunar missions in the coming decade, the risk to heritage sites is significant. Researchers advocate for the concept of 'interplanetary heritage' and recommend guidelines for upcoming space colonies.