"" Astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin poses for a photo beside the U.S. flag that was placed on the moon. The lunar module is visible on the far left, as well as numerous footprints in the foreground. The goal of this new law is to protect all of these. NASA It's hard to care about bootprints sunk in soil 238,900 miles (384,472 kilometers) away as humanity suffers the combined burden of an unforgiving virus and a political unease. But how humans treat those bootprints and the historic lunar landing sites upon which they are found will speak volumes about who we are and who we seek to become. On Dec. 31, the One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act became law. As far as laws go, it's pretty benign. It requires companies that are working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on lunar missions to agree to be bound by otherwise unenforceable guidelines intended to protect American landing sites on the moon. That's a pretty small pool of affected … [Read more...] about ‘One Small Step’ Act Encourages Protection of Human Heritage in Space