Putting moon on state historic register

Sandwiched into the same agenda as an old Southern Pacific railroad roundhouse and a 19th century raisin grape farm, Tranquility Base seemed way out of place for a California preservation panel to be considering Friday.

More than 221,000 miles out of place, in fact.

But the eight members of the State Historical Resources Commission were unanimous: Everything left behind by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin at the Apollo 11 landing site on the moon should be added to California's register of historical resources.

The move is part of a five-state effort to push Tranquility Base toward being named a national historic landmark and U.N. World Heritage Site.

The other states -- Florida, Alabama, New Mexico and Texas -- were also highly involved in the Apollo program, he said in a telephone interview from Sacramento.