Scientists argue that the world needs to declare the Lunar Anthropocene, marking a new era for the aerospace industry.
The concept of the Moon has been known to humanity for a long time. In fact, we have been able to conquer the surface of the Moon for over half a century. Footprints, inactive equipment, fallen spacecraft, and even waste have appeared on the Moon’s surface.
A simulation of a city on the Moon. (Image: Space).
Scientists state that “that time” has come, when humans officially become the dominant force and make certain impacts on the Moon.
They argue that we need to declare a new era on the Moon, called the Lunar Anthropocene. In fact, this phase began when the Soviet Union successfully accomplished the landing of the Luna 2 spacecraft in 1959.
“On Earth, the Anthropocene began at some point in the past, whether hundreds of thousands of years ago or in the 1950s,” said Justin Holcomb, a planetary geologist at the University of Kansas.
“Similarly, on the Moon, we believe it is time to declare that the Anthropocene on the Moon has begun.”
In their paper, Holcomb and colleagues presented their thoughts on evaluating and cataloging human impacts on the Moon. They argue that human culture is beginning to push the Moon beyond its natural, inherent geological foundation.
This process involves our allowance to move lunar sediments, also known as regolith, to different locations, even bringing them back to Earth for study.
We are interfering too much with the Moon’s surface, gradually pushing it away from its inherent natural foundation (Image: NASA).
The research team asserts that our activities are significantly disrupting the Moon’s surface. In the context of an increasingly competitive space race, the lunar landscape will be completely different in 50 years.
Holcomb and colleagues also warn that there is an urgent need for international policies regarding the preservation of lunar cultural history, considering it part of our heritage and an essential aspect of human history.
“As archaeologists, we view the footprints on the Moon as an extension of humanity’s journey out of Africa, a significant milestone in our existence,” Holcomb stated.
However, they also caution that the condition of the Moon could worsen in the coming years as more missions are directed towards this attractive satellite of Earth.
