No-fly zones will come into effect on the moon for the very first time by the end of this month! Why, even buffer zones that spacecraft may have to avoid will come into existence. The reason: avoiding any spraying of rocket exhaust or dust onto certain historical sites and artefacts on the moon.
The historical sites are of course the Apollo landing sites and artefacts present on the moon. And the “recommendations” are for preserving and protecting these historical sites. There are currently more than three dozen historical sites that preserve the more than four-decade-old remains.
“Apollo 11 and 17 sites [will] remain off-limits, with ground-travel buffers of 75 metres and 225 metres from each respective lunar lander,” states the July 20 guidelines of NASA. Science journal had obtained the guidelines.
No legal binding
According to Science, by the end of this month NASA is expected to come up with a set of “recommendations” for spacecraft and astronauts visiting the “U.S. government property on the moon.” Of course, these recommendations will not be legally binding as the 1967 Outer Space Treaty makes it clear that the lunar surface has no owner.
Despite the lack of ownership, NASA is hopeful that other countries will respect the U.S. sentiments. Incidentally, the restriction list contains more than the historical sites. For instance, the list includes studying discarded food and abandoned astronaut faeces.
Study of bacteria
Though these restrictions may appear preposterous, there are clear scientific compulsions to collect and study them. For example, studying the discarded food will reveal the viability of bacteria on the moon and, if present, how they have mutated and survived after years of exposure to solar radiation.
It is worthwhile to remember that all scientific experiments conducted on board during space travel are of a few days duration and pale in comparison with decades of constant exposure to several stressful lunar conditions/environment.
Similarly, there are other scientific compulsions to study the artefacts left behind on the moon. For instance, any metallic objects would reveal how these materials have degraded after prolonged exposure to solar radiation and other peculiar conditions prevailing on the moon.
What prompted the space agency to act was the Google Lunar X prize for those landing a robot that moves 500 metres and sends images from the moon. Precise landing near the Apollo sites would get them more money.
Very recently, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured the sharpest images ever taken from space of the Apollo 12, 14 and 17 landing sites. The paths made when the astronauts explored the lunar surface have been very clearly captured by the images.
According to NASA, at the Apollo 17 site, the tracks laid down by the lunar rover are clearly visible, along with the last foot trails left on the Moon. The images also show where the astronauts placed some of the scientific instruments that provided the first insights into the Moon's environment and interior.
Keywords: Moon, NASA, no-fly zones, Apollo landing sites
Comments:
All the disbelievers that US never landed on moon got another Good reason to believe so. Seems a way to prevent any other country investigating the sites US claims to have landed at.
Wish similar sentiments could have been in place with regards to natives and native cultures when colonization and imperialism were in vogue! Then again, even so today, with conversion being practiced which is nothing but violence of a psychological, spiritual and adharmic kind.
Sounds like NASA trying to hide a dirty little secret....
What historical sites? We've never been to the moon before. I guess the US wants to keep the official story alive so the truth never gets out.
I'd like to see somebody try to enforce that policy.
Humans on this earth fighting each other create wall between themselves, countries and no-fly zones. Human has no right to create a no-fly zone other than earth.
Anyway, the "desire" in human can do anything, anywhere, no limits at all.
Please immediately buzz the lunar surface to demonstrate to the US that they have no sovereign claim over anything
US wants to restrict the moon expeditions too? Astronaut faeces not subject to study by other scientists? Are you serious?
US is reopening the fact and telling to the world that it had landed on moon(which it didnt) and to give justification, it is now proclaiming that it want to preserve the left out objects by their astronauts...whole world knows what the hidden truth is...ordering no- fly-zones on moon to protect its left out food, feces, metals etc will just bring smiles on people faces rather than believing that US has truly landed on moon...
Please read the "No Legal Binding" para before freaking out and going 'how dare they'. It is just a recommendation/request.
Since no one owns the moon, I say Piffle and tosh to Nasa's no fly zone Photograph..and document all areas..and leave the 100ft circle around each lander...USA does not own the moon...and any property is abandoned and available for salvage collection
They can stick their no-fly zones where the moonshine won't reach. I'm going to the moon this weekend for a game of football with my little green friends, and if NASA doesn't like it, they know what they can do.
How did the Apollo astronauts safely get through 60,000 miles of the radiation belt? Why are our manned flights limited to about 200 miles up? How did those that landed on the moon get out of that small hatch on the LEM with that suit and big pack? Why are their few to no books by the people at the Houston space center of their careers during Apollo?
They definitely are hiding something. I would just ignore them. What are they going to do if you fly there? I wouldn't waste time on the antiques they left up there. There has to be something else.
Wow! You'd think the entire planet was enough for the Americans. What's next, no fly zones on Mars. Then what? They're gonna copyright their routes in space so you'll have to pay a right of way fee? If you start bowing down to them, they'll be no end in sight.
Obviously they're trying to protect all of those alien tourist dollars (and Galactic Credit Units).
Unfortunately a lot of these comments so far are somewhat silly, misguided, plain crazy or it seems with other motivations. Its not crazy talk it makes absolute sense, I for one hope that all the apollo landing sites, bar one perhaps for scientific investigation are totally off limits and are never disturbed, its a rare environment that allows preservation of history on a scale never seen before, hopefully one day when we start living on the moon they will be 'bubbled' off and remain intact for as long as possible. I am not an American but its weird how everyone’s comments were ‘towards the US’, I want the site preserved because its when humanity set foot on the moon, it doesn’t matter which country did it, its something the human race should be proud of.
Seems only American Govt has sentiments and others have to respect it. American Govt thinks and acts that no other Country has any sentiments of their own. I respect American people's sentiments, not the American Govt's so called Sentiments. But not sure what did they mean by "U.S. SENTIMENTS"
The recommendations are not legally binding, and never will be. What I don't understand is how can the recent photos of the landing sites be the best resolution NASA can obtain? Google earth has far better images of everyday places around the globe; far better than anything NASA has put out recently. Why can they not provide better photos that clearly show detail, as opposed to shiny blobs? If you still need to use arrows to show people what they are looking at, then the images are not "sharp" at all.
How could they have left food behind when they would have to take their helmets off in order to eat said food? Or is this food that they may have pitched out from their craft like a litterer on the highway? Makes no sense.
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