Preserving Apollo Moon Landing Locations as Historical Landmarks
Anthropological discoveries in Tanzania and the lunar mission of Apollo 11 share a common theme: they both celebrate the milestones of human evolution and achievement. A study of footprints in Laetoli, Tanzania, points towards an early hominin's successful bid to walk upright, while Neil Armstrong's and Buzz Aldrin's bootprints on the moon symbolize humanity's greatest technological achievement.
Although the footprints in Laetoli are recognized and protected as human heritage, those made by Apollo 11 astronauts are not. In an effort to change this, Michelle Hanlon, a professor of aviation and space law and associate director of the Air and Space Law Program at the University of Mississippi School of Law, co-founded 'For All Moonkind.' This nonprofit organization aims to ensure the Apollo 11 landing site and similar sites in outer space are recognized and preserved for future generations.
The mission of For All Moonkind includes advocating for the preservation of iconic sites, such as the Apollo 11 landing site, which is a significant milestone in human space exploration. The organization has made notable contributions to developing legislation that acknowledges human heritage in space, including collaborating on the first U.S. national legislation recognizing these sites, signed into law by President Trump in 2020.
As a Permanent Observer to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), For All Moonkind has been a strong voice for preserving cultural heritage in space since 2018. The organization also played a role in incorporating a section into the Artemis Accords, which are now signed by 55 nations, emphasizing the need to protect space heritage.
However, the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 poses challenges for protecting specific sites due to its prohibition on countries claiming territory in outer space. The treaty encourages countries to show "due regard" for the interests of others, providing a legal basis for preserving historical sites. The organization works towards developing a clearer legal framework to preserve these sites while ensuring continued access and exploration of space.
By preserving these historical sites, For All Moonkind hopes to ensure that future generations can learn from our past and use it to advance as a species. The organization's work serves as a reminder that the footprints that mark our evolutionary milestones, whether made by our barefoot ancestors or with space boots, should be treated with equal respect and deference.
[1] : https://www.forallmoonkind.org/take-action[3] : https://treaty-archive.org/treaties/440/1967-outer-space-treaty
- For All Moonkind, as a nonprofit organization dedicated to space law and aviation, aims to ensure the Apollo 11 landing site and other significant space sites are recognized and preserved for future generations, just like the footprints in Laetoli, Tanzania, which are protected as human heritage.
- By advocating for the preservation of iconic sites in outer space, such as the Apollo 11 landing site, For All Moonkind collaborated with US officials to enact legislation recognizing human heritage in space, signed into law by President Trump in 2020.
- As a Permanent Observer to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), For All Moonkind has been a strong voice for preserving cultural heritage in space since 2018, playing a role in incorporating a section into the Artemis Accords, encouraging the protection of space heritage.
- The preservation of historical sites in space by For All Moonkind serves to instill values of respect and deference towards our evolutionary milestones, whether documented by anthropology or astronomy, and to use our past achievements to advance ourselves in space, technology, education, and lifestyle, much like how the lunar mission of Apollo 11 and anthropological discoveries in Tanzania inspire us.
