50 years ago, NASA relaxed quarantine rules for returning moon missions
Excerpt from the May 8, 1971 issue of Science News
![a photo of an astronaut at the Apollo 11 moon landing site](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/040821_aa_planetary-protection_feat.jpg?fit=1030%2C580&ssl=1)
In 2020, NASA relaxed its planetary protection guidelines for the moon. Only lunar areas that may harbor signs of life or have historic significance, such as the Apollo 11 landing site (shown), remain strictly controlled.
NASA