The Los Angeles Times (1/29, Anton) reports, "California is poised to become the first state to register the items at Tranquility Base as an official State Historical Resource. If the State Historical Resources Commission approves the idea at a meeting in Sacramento today, it would be a victory for scientists who want to build support for having Tranquility Base designated a United Nations World Heritage Site." Many of the items were left by the Apollo 11 crew in order to make room for lunar samples. Preserving the site, according to the article, is a "priority for the space heritage movement." Meanwhile, Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin "says any move to preserve Tranquility Base should be done in concert with a badly needed rethinking of international space law to create 'a unified space vision' on issues of future exploration."
Full story at
If this goes through, it will be an important step in the development of 'Star Digging', as I call it, worldwide.
ReplyDeleteIt has gone through! Will post more about it soon.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that. Next step, UNESCO WHR listing!
ReplyDeleteThe problem is, though, that the World Heritage Convention does not extend to off-world places. So there is some legwork that needs to be done there first ....
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