Lecture by Michelle Hanlon

“Protecting Human Heritage in the Cradle of Our Spacefaring Civilization” (in English)

Lecture Tuesday 29 October 2019 at 19:00 by Michelle Hanlon on the occasion of Space Days and the exhibition “Around the Moon”

The World Heritage Convention protects our human heritage here on Earth. There are many World Heritage sites in Denmark, including the Jelling Mounds, Runic Stones and Church – reminders of the Vikings who perfectly illustrate the exploratory character and incredible perseverance of the human species.

These sites are recognized for their outstanding value not just to Denmark, but to all humanity and consequently preserved and protected for posterity by the United Nations and the international community as part of our common human heritage. They capture momentous events in our shared human history and celebrate remarkable achievements in our evolution. We as a human species share these achievements, just as we share ancestors who discovered fire, who figured out how to domesticate animals, and who decided to reach for the Moon.

But sites on the Moon, including Luna 2, the first human object ever to reach another celestial body, and Apollo 11, the site where humans left the first off-Earth footprint, do not enjoy any protection. Or even any recognition. The lecture will debate the possible aim to change that.