Overview

• 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.