Historial Moon Sites

[Orleander]

In many countries there are historical sites that are protected. Are any of the moon landing sites? Or can another country go up there and wipe out foot prints, remove flags, etc.

[kaneda]

The Moon is a big place and most areas remain unexplored. No need to go to somewhere already explored and find the same information. Maybe if the Moon does become inhabited through space tourism, such sites of special historic interest might be roped off to preserve them.

[eburacum45]

I'd go further, and put a dome over any of the landing sites that we want to protect. Ultraviolet rays from the Sun, micrometeorites and Moon dust will gradually damage the sites if they are not protected.

[Orleander]

But are they legally protected? Is there anything that says they are a historical landmark and cannot be altered?

[Vkothii]

You just want to go for a ride in one of those 4-wheelers they left behind, don't you?

[Janus58]

In many countries there are historical sites that are protected. Are any of the moon landing sites? Or can another country go up there and wipe out foot prints, remove flags, etc.


As far as I've been able to find out, there are national and international laws that would allow for the Lunar landing sites to be protected as historical sites, but they have not been invoked yet.

As far as another country removing items from the sites, the International Space Treaty states that any objects placed in space or on another heavenly body remains the property of the country that places them there. So the only country that could legally remove items from these sites is the U.S. itself.

[Orleander]

could they erase foot prints?
Would foot prints even still be there?

[eburacum45]

Most of the footprints would be there, yes. There is film taken from a departing Lunar Module of the lunar soil being blown about as the rocket takes off; the flag in that image is blown over, if I recall correctly. But it didn't look particularly violent- no worse than a helicopter taking off, which might have coversed some of the footprints.
But the rate of dust deposition on the Moon is quite low, so most of the footprints will be intact at present.

[Janus58]

could they erase foot prints?
Would foot prints even still be there?

As far as I know, there is nothing that presently would prevent them from disturbing the Lunar surface at the landing sites, just from removing the man-made artifacts left there.

[Billy T]

... As far as another country removing items from the sites, the International Space Treaty states that any objects placed in space or on another heavenly body remains the property of the country that places them there. So the only country that could legally remove items from these sites is the U.S. itself.If correct, that is an interesting exception or change to the long standing "law of the sea" in which an abandond ship belongs to anyone who can save her. Why tradition has it that the "Captain goes down with the ship." etc. Perhaps that law is changing too. I have read that some treasure ship items do not always and clearly belong to the divers recovering things from them.