Moon A Threatened Heritage Site? Find Out Why Earth's Natural Satellite Was Dubbed "Under Threat" By World Monuments Fund

World Monuments Fund

[{"selector":"#anim-94ad4189-c004-4048-93a5-7280eaad806c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7334af63-15f9-4fcf-a578-35f8e3cb2ea6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 281.20908%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] World Monuments Fund added the Moon to its 2025 heritage sites under threat list, alongside 24 other locations worldwide. Credits: Unsplash

Tranquility Base

[{"selector":"#anim-b0d4d849-8995-46d0-9baa-9cce14dcb963","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-70c203b3-3ea7-41b4-8852-c67c9645d201","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 556.16719%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Over 100 artefacts at Tranquility Base alone, including Apollo 11 footprints and equipment, represent crucial scientific milestones. Credits: Unsplash

Humanity's 1st ventures

[{"selector":"#anim-e526f719-70e7-4ca1-a19e-212a7045e048","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-edccb7e9-f061-47bd-8341-b7b50e87682d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 664.69120%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Credits: Unsplash The Moon's inclusion reflects urgent need to protect humanity's first ventures beyond Earth as space activities accelerate.

90+ lunar sites

[{"selector":"#anim-38841707-4707-48da-96bd-4cec2f5b8d02","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9d8365f5-f8af-451b-9ee1-b62a6aa0db9e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 867.97352%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] WMF identified 90+ lunar sites showcasing human achievement that require preservation protocols. Credits: Unsplash

"Space Junk"

[{"selector":"#anim-a2913b26-6c96-492d-bebc-d706648023cf","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-88c4da38-eec9-4e11-9975-a25e5620fc7c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 241.50323%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Growing space tourism, increased missions and "space junk" pose risks to historic lunar locations. Credits: Unsplash

Future lunar exploration

[{"selector":"#anim-c1bb4f39-5f80-4055-889c-10f8f4a5959b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-736128e5-ee72-4623-aa0e-ab5baf260d1c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 208.02466%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Future lunar exploration could lead to looting, souveniring and erasure of iconic tracks from Moon's surface. Credits: Unsplash

NASA's Artemis

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Proactive Measures

[{"selector":"#anim-3709b6f1-e1a4-467a-8913-0fab87549aeb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ab00a82e-6bc0-4cf3-9d6a-6bf2a9c9cd3e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 661.35791%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] WMF advocates for proactive international strategies to safeguard lunar heritage sites amidst mounting commercial space activities. Credits: Unsplash

[{"selector":"#anim-5a2d0b6b-7cdf-4be1-a083-a2fc0dc8e175","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7cb7ffa5-fc4f-4870-88bc-d604116739b8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 1315.04637%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] WHat are you thoughts on this? Credits: Unsplash