Lunar tourism threatens erasing Neil Armstrong's 'small step'

Sydney, July 25: The sanctity of the first moon landing site is being threatened by the dawn of a new race to put tourists in space, according to Dr Beth O'Leary, a space heritage archaeologist from New Mexico State University.

Dr O'Leary has said lunar tourism risks erasing imprints of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's footprints on the moon made some 40 years back on the Tranquility Base, which remains on the surface even to this day.

O'Leary, who gave a keynote address at the recent International Council on Monuments and Sites conference in Cairns, Australia, said the site should be protected under US and UN heritage laws, and trophy hunters should be dissuaded from collecting items such as urine collection bags and space boots.

But since attempts to protect the site might be seen as US effort to claim sovereignty over the moon, efforts should be made to recognise Tranquillity Base as an historic archaeological site, she said.