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Abstract
The cultural landscape of humanity extends beyond Earth. We have permanent robotic equipment on the Moon and Mars, and we have sent Voyager 1 and 2 on a now over 35-year-long journey towards the edges of our solar system and beyond. In 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space, and on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on another celestial body. Humanity has maintained a presence off-planet for over fifty years. This thesis focuses on the cultural heritage of the exploration of space. An analysis of international treaties that govern the use of space and other areas of the international commons is presented, and a three part ethic for the preservation of this heritage is proposed that includes a legal path, a cultural impetus that encourages preservation, and the cultural landscape model as a method for the evaluation of these cultural resources.