Moon Added to List of Endangered World Cultural Heritage Sites

The Earth's satellite, the Moon, has become the first extraterrestrial object to be included in the World Monuments Watch 2025 list as part of the cultural heritage in need of protection, The New York Times reports.

Threats from the new space race, pollution, and the expansion of space tourism put more than 90 locations on the Earth's satellite at risk.  

The World Monuments Fund (WMF) is an international organisation that has been preserving the world's cultural heritage for over 30 years. Every year, it compiles a list of endangered sites to draw attention and mobilise resources for their protection. For the first time in history, the list includes an object outside the Earth - the Moon.  

Benedicta de Montfort, President of the Foundation, explained that this decision was dictated by the growth of human activity in space.  

‘The Moon seems very far from our usual sphere of activity, but given the growing number of space missions and the development of tourism, now is the time to act,’ she said.  

The moon was included in the list because of potential threats from space debris, tourism and uncontrolled human activity. Particular attention is paid to the Apollo 11 landing site, the Tranquility Base, where Neil Armstrong first set foot on the lunar surface.  

Today, the lunar surface contains numerous artefacts of both scientific and cultural value. For example, the Apollo 11 astronauts left a golden olive branch there as a symbol of peace. In 2023, SpaceX delivered 125 miniature sculptures created by artist Jeff Koons to the moon.  

Protecting space heritage remains challenging due to the lack of universal legal mechanisms. Since 2020, 52 countries have signed the *Artemis Accords*, a non-binding agreement calling for the preservation of space heritage. However, stricter rules proposed by the UN have not yet been ratified by key countries.  

The World Monuments Fund hopes that the inclusion of the Moon on the list will start a broader discussion about the need to preserve heritage even beyond the Earth. According to Jonathan Bell, Vice President of the Foundation, space tourism may become commonplace in the near future.  

‘It's a great opportunity to draw attention to the value of preservation,’ he said.