The site where astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first landed on the Moon in July 1969 could receive the same federal protection as Yellowstone.
Democrats Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas and Donna Edwards of Maryland -- both members of House Committee on Science, Space and Technology -- proposed legislation this week that would establish the site of the Apollo 11 lunar landing as a National Historic Park.
In a press release, Edwards explained the Apollo Lunar Landing Legacy Act would ensure the scientific data and cultural significance of the Apollo artifacts remains unharmed by future lunar landings by endowing the artifacts as a National Historic Park.
The bill would also direct the Secretary of the Interior to nominate the Apollo landing site as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
"In light of other nations and private entities developing the ability to go to the moon, the United States must be proactive in protecting artifacts left by the seven Apollo lunar landings,” Johnson told the Dallas Morning News.
[Astronaut Buzz Alderin on the Moon, Creative Commons licensed]
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