Now that NASA is leading the development of the Artemis lunar habitation program that will send men and women to the Moon within the next few years, this may be a good time to preview at least one aspect of the environment that the astronauts will experience when they arrive, i. e., trash from Earth.

Since 1959, the lunar surface has experienced a barrage of man-made attacks of various kinds. It all began on September 13th with Soviet probe Luna 2 when it smashed into Mare Imbrium and all but vaporized on impact. This was the beginning of a series of Luna probes. Beginning in 1960, NASA's Ranger Program planned to send nine spacecraft to the Moon for the purpose of taking close-up photos of the lunar surface. Each launch was to terminate in a crash.

The first two attempts ended with launch failures. The third missed the Moon altogether; oops. The fourth spacecraft failed but did impacted the surface.

The fifth missed the Moon, again. On the sixth flight, the camera failed but the vehicle impacted the surface. Finally, the last three flights were successful and they sent a total of over 17,000 photos back to Earth as they crashed onto the surface. This program was followed by Surveyor with seven spacecraft designed to soft land on the lunar surface. From 1966 to 1968, all spacecraft made it to the surface, but two crashed.

Of course, there were six successful Apollo landings on the Moon between 1969 and 1972. The Apollo program left six Lunar module lower stages, three rovers, six flags and an assortment of experiments, hardware and other items. In addition to the US, other nations sent probes to the moon over the years. As a result, the Moon's surface is dotted with hundreds of objects.

We expect that there will be human habitats on the surface. Mines are likely to be established at the lunar poles in search of water reserves. Eventually, there may be permanent colonies of humans. Some are already calling for preservation of the artifacts and to grant them heritage status in order to protect them from future tourists and fortune hunters.

In summary, the lunar surface has about a hundred sites where humans have left their mark. Protecting these sites is one goal of For All Moonkind, a non-profit that seeks to preserve human heritage in space. In total there are roughly 167 metric tons of material, but no legal structure in place to protect these objects or their historical sites.

Nevertheless, NASA recommends that future expeditions not land within two kilometers of Apollo sites. But the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 states: "Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means." The implication is that there should be an international body overseeing priority rights, without granting sovereignty, as is done to manage satellites in geostationary orbits.

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