No individual has ever walked on [Mars](https://mashable.com/article/mars-nasa-insight-lander-new-images), yet this has not prevented us from making a tangible impact on the Red Planet.
Since 1971, following the crash-landing of the Soviet Union’s Mars 2 spacecraft, humanity has been depositing artificial debris on its surface—a notable accomplishment given that the planet is, on average, 140 million miles away. The Martian terrain is now dotted with artifacts from human exploration, including wrecks of spacecraft, parachute remnants, rover trails, and even resilient Earth bacteria unintentionally transported along with instruments.
Currently, a group of anthropologists led by Justin Holcomb from the University of Kansas is advocating for [NASA](https://mashable.com/category/nasa) and other [space](https://mashable.com/category/space) organizations to compile a thorough catalog of all identified human-made items on Mars. They contend that this inventory should be formed before the planet’s severe conditions—cosmic radiation, dust storms, and shifting sands—erode or conceal these remnants. Existing systems, like the United Nations’ [Register of Objects Launched into Outer Space](https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/spaceobjectregister/index.html), could provide a foundation for monitoring these materials.
“It’s not junk; it holds significant value,” Holcomb expressed in [a statement](https://news.ku.edu/news/article/anthropologists-call-for-tracking-and-preservation-of-human-artifacts-on-mars). “The answer to trash is removal, but heritage requires preservation. There’s a substantial difference.”
### Safeguarding Humanity’s Legacy in Space
When scientists mention “[space debris](https://mashable.com/article/space-junk-rocket-debris-footage),” they usually refer to the extensive amount of waste orbiting Earth, which jeopardizes satellites and astronauts on the International Space Station. The Department of Defense monitors around [27,000 artificial objects](https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/news/orbital_debris.html) near Earth that are at least four inches wide, while NASA estimates the presence of about 500,000 marble-sized fragments of debris that go untracked. Even a small screw hurtling at 15,700 mph can inflict severe damage to a spacecraft.
Nonetheless, the concept of interpreting space debris as a record of human activity isn’t entirely novel. In 2012, NASA released a catalog of [approximately 800 items](https://history.nasa.gov/FINAL%20Catalogue%20of%20Manmade%20Material%20on%20the%20Moon.pdf) left behind on the Moon. This list encompasses everything from astronaut tools and scientific apparatus to more peculiar objects such as golf balls, vomit bags, and even human waste. Among these artifacts are remnants from Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s Apollo 11 mission, including their disposed fecal matter, which certain researchers view as a potential resource for [study](https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/3/22/18236125/apollo-moon-poop-mars-science).
The aim of the lunar catalog was not to tidy up the disorder but to document and safeguard these items as components of human heritage. However, since its unveiling, the Moon has experienced heightened activity, with commercial entities and countries adding their own debris. For instance, Israel’s unsuccessful Beresheet lunar lander crash in 2019 dispersed dehydrated tardigrades—microscopic “water bears”—along with other [cargo](https://mashable.com/article/moon-library-beresheet-crash-wikipedia). Despite this, NASA currently has no plans for updating the Moon catalog, according to chief historian Brian Odom.
“Certainly not a bad idea,” Odom remarked to Mashable, “but nothing is currently in development.”
### The Distinct Difficulties of Mars
On Mars, the chief challenge is not rivalry from other nations or companies but the natural elements of the planet. [Geoarchaeology](https://earth.indiana.edu/research/research-areas/geoarchaeology/)—the examination of how geological processes influence archaeological sites—is still emerging in extraterrestrial contexts. Scientists remain uncertain about how Martian conditions—cosmic radiation, ice behavior, and strong dust storms—will impact human-made artifacts over a prolonged period.
Dust devils, for example, are a well-documented occurrence on Mars. In 2012, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured imagery of an enormous dust devil featuring a [12-mile-high plume](https://mashable.com/article/11-amazing-discoveries-mars-orbiter). While these vortices can sometimes clear dust from solar panels, they are not consistently reliable enough to prevent equipment from being obscured.