Space Junk Created a Big Crater on the Moon

Space Junk Created a Big Crater on the Moon

According to astronomers, space debris has created a large crater on the Moon. This is the first case of space debris inadvertently hitting the Moon. Due to this, a huge crater (about 65 feet wide) has been created on the Moon.

This space debris was of Chang’e 5-T1 launched by China. This is a lunar mission from China.

Craters formed on the Moon are more permanent in nature than those on Earth, because:

  • The Moon does not have an atmosphere. Due to this there is no wind system on the Moon. Therefore, there is no reason for the erosion of the existing craters here.
  • There is no tectonic activity on the Moon. Therefore, neither new rocks are formed on the surface of the Moon, nor is there any change in the existing surface pattern.
  • The absence of volcanic activity on the Moon makes it impossible to fill the crater with debris.

Space debris is also called space junk. These are useless satellites, rockets or their fragments, which orbit the Earth. Their size can be as large as the debris from the rocket’s detachable stages or as small as a few millimeters.

Space debris orbits the Earth in low Earth orbit, at a speed of 25,265 km per hour.

Risks associated with space debris:

  • Astronaut’s suits/equipment are not capable of dealing with this danger.
  • Debris re-entering the earth can threaten human life.
  • These can increase the cost of operating space projects.

The Kessler Syndrome

  • It is a phenomenon in which the amount of debris in Earth’s orbit becomes so large that a destructive cycle of their collision begins. Under this, the space debris created by each collision increases the likelihood of further collisions.
  • Due to this, the concentration of space debris in Earth’s orbit increases. This situation poses a major problem for satellites, astronauts and mission planners.

Source – The Hindu

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