NMSU & The Moon: To Preserve History on the Moon, Visitors Are Asked to Tread Lightly

California’s catalog of historic artifacts includes two pairs of boots, an American flag, empty food bags, a pair of tongs and more than a hundred other items left behind at a place called Tranquillity Base. The history registry for New Mexico lists the same items. That might be surprising, since Tranquillity Base is not in New Mexico or California but a quarter of a million miles away, in the spot where Neil A. Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the moon in 1969. But for archaeologists and historians worried that the next generation of people visiting the moon might carelessly obliterate the site of one of humanity’s greatest accomplishments, these designations were important first steps toward raising awareness of the need to protect off-world artifacts. “I think it’s humanity’s heritage,” said Beth L. O’Leary, a professor of anthropology at New Mexico State University. “It’s just an incredible realm that archaeologists haven’t begun to look at until now.” Dr. O’Leary herself had not given much thought to historic preservation on the Moon until a student asked her in 1999 whether federal preservation laws applied to the Apollo landing sites. “That started the ball rolling,” she said. It turned out to be a tricky question. Under international law, the United States government still owns everything it left on the moon: the bottom half of the first lunar lander, the scientific experiments, the urine bags. But 100 nations, including the United States, have signed the Outer Space Treaty, in which they agree not to claim sovereignty over any part of the moon...more

E PLUBIOUS MORON seems to think we have our priorities all wrong:

New Mexico State University Professor of Archaelogy Beth O’Leary told the Times about her fear that “the next generation of people visiting the moon might carelessly obliterate the site of one of humanity’s greatest accomplishments (the Moon Landing Site).” Now, I’m not saying Beth O’Leary is wrong (I mean, who hasn’t woken up in a cold terrified sweat thinking about that?), but it’s important that we take a minute and realize this is a really really at Global 1% issue. I mean, people in Malawi and East Timor spend all day thinking about where their next meal will come for and Americans are worried about Astro-tourists...

The rest of the quote is not appropriate for a family blog.