Lunar Anthropocene is now, says scientists

Scientists say we must declare our world is in a new age called the Lunar Anthropocene. We must acknowledge we are in a new period where humans have left significant marks on the Moon. Our past and ongoing lunar explorations add more artifacts and debris, showing that the Moon is a part of our history.

It all started with Neil Armstrong taking “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Later, more people from other countries left footprints and debris on that space rock. Consequently, the Moon is part of human history, and we must acknowledge that. As a result, we would exert more effort to preserve its artifacts for future generations.

This article will explain why scientists want to declare a new lunar epoch. Later, I will show you our next plans for exploring and studying the cosmos.

Why declare a Lunar Anthropocene?

Scientists say we’ve become the dominant force shifting the Moon’s geography. We’ve walked several steps, driven our rovers, and left so much debris on that rock.

They also say our impact will grow further as we plan to send more lunar satellites in the coming years. That is why we must declare a new epoch or era on the Moon called the Lunar Anthropocene.

National Geographic states the Anthropocene “is an unofficial unit of geologic time, used to describe the most recent period in Earth’s history when human activity started to have a significant impact on the planet’s climate and ecosystems.”

Adding the word “lunar” implies our influence has expanded to the Moon. Experts say that started with Russia’s Luna 2 spacecraft landing in 1959.

“The idea is much the same as the discussion of the Anthropocene on Earth — the exploration of how much humans have impacted our planet,” says planetary geoarchaeologist Justin Holcomb of the Kansas Geological Survey at the University of Kansas.

“The consensus is on Earth the Anthropocene began at some point in the past, whether hundreds of thousands of years ago or in the 1950s,” he added.

You may also like: First lunar delivery service coming soon

“Similarly, on the moon, we argue the Lunar Anthropocene already has commenced, but we want to prevent massive damage or a delay of its recognition until we can measure a significant lunar halo caused by human activities, which would be too late.”

ScienceAlert says their goal is to disprove the myth that the Moon does not change. Human activity has shifted the space rock in more ways than we realize. 

Also, we’ve left many objects on the Moon that are important parts of human history. Yet, we haven’t done enough to preserve them.

What’s next for the ‘Lunar Anthropocene’?

History shows we’ve made nearly every inch of the planet into our home. You can find people living in scorching deserts and freezing regions, so why not the Moon?

Believe it or not, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and NASA are planning how to establish lunar colonies. They dubbed the project the 10-Year Lunar Architecture or LunA-10 Project. Here’s how DARPA Strategic Technology Office program manager Michael Nayak explained it:

“For 65 years, DARPA has pioneered and de-risked technologies vital to civil space advancement. LunA-10 continues this rich legacy by identifying and accelerating key technologies that may be used by government and the commercial space industry, and ultimately to catalyze economic vibrancy on the Moon.”

DARPA prioritizes the development of key industries like construction, communications, sciences, medicine, and mining. Also, the science update website Interesting Engineering says DARPA is working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

You may also like: NASA taps Austin firm to build Moon houses

These organizations collaborate to identify additional investments necessary for the DARPA Moon study’s success.” Nayak explained, “We set out to talk with NASA, figure out what they’re doing, figure out what their roadmap is…”

“And then see if there are other complementary investments that we can make to significantly advance the state of the art that align with your typical DARPA mission,” he added.

More importantly, the research organization wants a thriving economy in this heavenly body. “Just like DARPA’s foundational node of ARPANET grew into the sprawling web of the internet, LunA-10 is looking for those connective nodes to support a thriving commercial economy on the Moon,” Nayak elaborated.

Conclusion

Scientists say it is time we consider ourselves part of the Lunar Anthropocene. We’ve already entered a point in human history where we are changing the Moon.

Years of exploration have shifted its landscape and littered it with our debris. Declaring this epoch might urge nations to preserve the latter as part of our history.

Learn more about the Lunar Anthrocene on the Nature Geoscience website. Also, see humanity’s future plans for the Moon and other digital trends at Inquirer Tech.