Moon Designated as Vulnerable Site on World Monuments Fund's 2025 Watch List

The designation highlights the need to protect over 90 historic lunar sites as human activity on the Moon accelerates.

The World Monuments Fund included the Moon on its 2025 Watch list, marking the first time a site beyond Earth has been recognized as vulnerable.
Historic lunar sites at risk include Tranquility Base, where Neil Armstrong's boot print and over 100 Apollo 11 artifacts are preserved.
The Fund warns that increasing space exploration and tourism could harm these sites without international preservation agreements.
Existing agreements like the Artemis Accords promote preservation norms but lack enforcement mechanisms, raising concerns about their effectiveness.
The Watch list also includes Gaza's historic urban fabric and other global sites facing threats from war, climate change, and natural disasters.