The U.S. Doesn't Want Anyone Messing With the Apollo Landing Sites

[Winston]

The U.S. Doesn't Want Anyone Messing With the Apollo Landing Sites
A new rush of companies and countries headed to the moon has the U.S. considering the best ways to preserve its historical lunar landmarks.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/moon-mars/a19576001/preserve-apollo-landing-sites/

Nations, space companies, and even private citizens have big plans to colonize the Moon. But this reinvigorated focus on our nearest celestial neighbor have some worried that this mad dash could destroy historical lunar landmarks.

Yesterday, The White House issued a report calling for ways to protect Apollo-era landing sites, calling them “rich in scientific and historical significance.” Congress mandated the report in the NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2017. Damage from exhaust blasts of nearby spacecraft, biological contamination, and the obliteration of tracks in the regolith are all concerns.

The report:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-conte...Program-Lunar-Landing-Sites-and-Artifacts.pdf

 

[JStarStar]

If another government or private company devoted the resources to landing some kind of craft (manned or unmanned) at the Apollo landing sites, there’s frankly not much the US government could do about it.
Unless the “trespassing” entity announced well in advance exactly when they were going, trajectory, etc.

And then the US government would have to decide how much money it wanted to spend to maintain the “pristine” condition of the sites.

 

[ttabbal]

If they want it left alone, which would be nice, they should go build a museum there or something.

Oh, wait, we don't have anything that can get there.. Maybe if they ask Elon really nice?

 

[JStarStar]

Don't sweat it; nobody else has anything that can get there either.

 

[Mushtang]

Don't sweat it; nobody else has anything that can get there either.

Except the Chinese, who are heading there later this year (maybe).

China Launching Lander, Rover to Moon's Far Side This Year

The plan isn't to land near the Apollo sites, but they could land the rover nearby if they wanted to and roll over to do donuts on Neil's first footprint.

 

[afadeev]

Except the Chinese, who are heading there later this year (maybe).
China Launching Lander, Rover to Moon's Far Side This Year
The plan isn't to land near the Apollo sites, but the could land the rover nearby if they wanted to and roll over to do donuts on Neil's first footprint.

As far as I'm concerned, if someone can get there, they can do whatever they please.
Just because we managed to put a few men on the surface 49 years ago, doesn't mean squat anymore.

It was an awesome PR move back then, and some are tempted to repeat it yet again.
Unless someone comes up with a reasonable justification for heading back to that uninhabitable rock (in space, or in a middle of an ocean), it would really be a BTDT show. And anyone is welcome to "follow in our footsteps", figuratively, and literally.

a

 

[RocketFeller]

While we have no "right" to stop others from landing there, it certainly would be a very dickish move for someone to land in the exact spot.

I see it as equivalent to someone desecrating petroglyphs just because they were able to climb the cliff where they were made.

 

[MaxQ]

No problem. Nothing to worry about.
Didn't happen.

<sarcasm mode off>

BTW: The earth is flat.

 

[cerving]

China Launching Lander, Rover to Moon's Far Side This Year

There is no dark side of the moon, really. Matter of fact, it's all dark.

 

[K'Tesh]

If they want it left alone, which would be nice, they should go build a museum there or something.

Oh, wait, we don't have anything that can get there.. Maybe if they ask Elon really nice?

They already have a museum on the moon... Complete with an Andy Warhol

 

[ttabbal]

They already have a museum on the moon... Complete with an Andy Warhol

That's pretty cool! I didn't know they did that.

 

[soopirV]

Cant they just lock the soundstage doors??
*ducks*

Just a joke!!


Sent from my iPhone using Rocketry Forum

 

[ttabbal]

Cant they just lock the soundstage doors??
*ducks*

Just a joke!!

They destroyed the set years ago, wouldn't want someone to find it!!

 

[DavidMcCann]

Bleh. Get some high res photos. The sites are basically meaningless now.

 

[JStarStar]

Except the Chinese, who are heading there later this year (maybe).

China Launching Lander, Rover to Moon's Far Side This Year

Yah, yah, they say they are. The Chinese space program is basically a lot of big talk, then it takes them five years what it took the Russians and us five months to do in the 1960s.

 

[r66astro]

I think we should go back to the moon and give the rest of the world the bird!

 

[MaxQ]

There is no dark side of the moon, really. Matter of fact, it's all dark.

Good One! Love the P. Floyd.
:grin:

 

[MaxQ]

Cant they just lock the soundstage doors??
*ducks*

They tried to.......

https://media.giphy.com/media/3oz8xwLQQxm8ZkIDpm/giphy.gif