Protecting Lunar Heritage: Developing Guidelines and Recommendations for Controlled Lunar Deorbiting
September 14 @ 14:00 – 16:00
On the occasion of the 67th anniversary of the impact of the Soviet probe Luna 2, the first artificial object to reach the Moon, the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Aerospace Heritage proposes an event dedicated to the protection of lunar archaeological heritage, with particular attention to the risks posed by the impacts of de-orbited satellites and rocket stages.
The Moon preserves the material remains of dozens of space missions conducted since 1959, documenting humanity’s earliest interactions with another celestial body. Although the lunar environment has favoured their preservation, these sites are becoming increasingly vulnerable due to natural weathering processes and the growing number of exploration and commercial activities.
As lunar traffic increases, controlled crash landings of orbiters and rocket stages are becoming an attractive and sustainable end-of-mission disposal strategy. However, the degree to which crash landings can be controlled is not well known since it has not been a usual sustained effective practice even in the recent past. Additionally, the high-velocity regolith ejecta generated by these impacts can damage archaeological sites,contaminate scientific contexts, and threaten operational infrastructure, including, for example, the Lunar Laser Ranging Retroreflectors.
To address these challenges, the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Aerospace Heritage, which is actively engaged in the study and protection of aerospace heritage, is drafting guidelines and recommendations for controlled lunar crash landings. These are intended to provide expert technical advice to inform consensus-based decision-making within COPUOS and to support the future development of international standards and policies.
The event will introduce the Committee and its activities, provide an overview of lunar heritage, the threats to its preservation and the current legal framework, and conclude with a presentation of the Committee’s ongoing work, including preliminary recommendations for the safe management of controlled lunar crash landings.
