NEW LAW PROTECTS APOLLO SITES FROM MOON MISSIONS

Future launches to the lunar surface will be required to leave these iconic locations untouched

Preserving the historic sites where humans first landed on the Moon is now not only a good idea, it is also the law. The US has enacted its first legislation that requires American companies and other entities working with NASA on new missions to the Moon to avoid disturbing the US hardware that was left there 50 years ago. The ‘One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act’ became law on 31 December.

“I have long advocated for the preservation of the Apollo artefacts, which hold deep cultural, historical and scientific value for not only the

US, but for all of humanity,” said Eddie Bernice Johnson, chair of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. “It is important that NASA and the US lead the way in guiding responsible behaviour in space, and this legislation to preserve our human heritage in space is one small step in practicing that.”

The new law directs NASA to require future Moon missions to abide by a set of best practice recommendations drafted in 2011 “to protect and preserve the historic and scientific value of US government lunar artefacts.” The recommendations, which until now had been non-binding, address the paths that spacecraft should follow when descending to the lunar surface and define ‘keep-out zones’ to avoid the purposeful or inadvertent disturbance of the Apollo landing sites. US commercial enterprises and others seeking contracts, grants or other agreements for lunar activities carried out by, for or in partnership with NASA will need to agree to stay clear of the human heritage sites on the Moon to be eligible for the requested support. The law also requires that NASA informs other relevant US federal agencies of the preservation recommendations and encourage their use.

“As we go forward to the Moon with the Artemis Program, NASA has been clear that we must do so sustainably,” said NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine. “As part of the Artemis Accords agreements signed with partner nations, NASA has emphasised that protecting historically significant sites is critical, and I applaud the leaders of this legislation for their commitment to ensuring that future lunar science and exploration is done in a safe and transparent manner.”

The law applies to companies such as Intuitive Machines, Astrobotic and Masten Space Systems, which have contracts under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative to deliver science payloads to the surface of the Moon.

The law also applies to SpaceX, Blue Origin and Dynetics, which are developing human landing systems for the Artemis program.