Moon, our closest galactic neighbor has been the subject of our fascination forever. More recently, for about five decades now, it has also been a subject of intense scientific exploration. Armed with plethora of satellites, rockets, unmanned robots and other high-tech space paraphernalia, we have tried to satisfy our curiosity from every vantage point we could find.
However, these five long decades have had negative consequences for our only natural satellite. Its surface has been left littered with all kinds of objects - the remnants of our technological advancement. With more space missions to follow, the future bodes trouble for this beautiful spectacle of night.
Over the history of our space exploration, we have left behind some 20 tons of debris on the moon. This debris consists of probe rockets, landing gears, rovers, abandoned satellites and so on. This of course, not counting the commemorative objects left behind by the astronauts, such as the golf balls from Alan Shepard’s lunar driving practice during Apollo 14, or the statuette left by the crew of Apollo 15.
Every major mission to the moon has left behind a souvenir and made the moon a junkyard of galactic proportions. The satellites or spacecraft left in moon’s orbit crash onto its surface, once their orbit decays. Since the moon has neither atmosphere, to burn the debris as it nears its surface, nor even a recycling plant, the debris left behind will stay for eternity or until aliens take care of it.
The coming few years will see a frantic the race amongst the space newcomers to explore the moon. China, Japan and India, all have plans for moon explorations in their last stages. U.S.A. will join the three as they explore for various causes. Potential sites for moon bases, exploration for water at the lunar poles and search for metals and minerals are on the agenda of the interested nations. National pride and money-spinning business contracts are the driving forces behind such missions.
I really wonder what sort of litter these countries are planning to leave behind. When will we learn to clean our own mess?
Source: Popsci
