How Moon missions are adding to space junk
FirstpostPeople think of space as vast and empty, but the near-Earth environment is starting to get crowded. As many as 100 lunar missions are planned over the next decade by governments and private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin, which will only add to the junk there There’s a lot of trash on the Moon right now – including nearly 100 bags of human waste – and with countries around the globe traveling to the Moon, there’s going to be a lot more, both on the lunar surface and in Earth’s orbit. Like many other space experts, I’m concerned about the lack of governance around space debris. “It’s going to be like an interstate highway, at rush hour in a snowstorm, with everyone driving much too fast,” space launch expert Johnathan McDowell told Space.com. Experts call this the “ Kessler syndrome.” Nobody is in charge up there The United Nations Outer Space Treaty of 1967 says that no country can “own” the Moon or any part of it, and that celestial bodies should only be used for peaceful purposes.
History of this topic
Space junk cleanup should adopt same strategy as ocean conservation, experts propose
Salon
Space junk in Earth orbit and on the Moon will increase with future missions − but nobody’s in charge of cleaning it up
The Hindu
Scientists call for global action to tackle space junk
The Independent
Three tonnes of space junk on a collision course with the moon
Al Jazeera
Space debris is blocking our path off the planet and legal loopholes mean Earth’s governments don’t have to care
The IndependentDiscover Related