Dangers in space call for action by nations
- Countries and companies need to clean up their act as hi-tech debris increasingly poses a risk to satellites, spacecraft and astronauts
Deep space may be the final frontier, but the outer space between the Earth’s atmosphere and the moon is becoming a junkyard. A disused rocket booster is expected to strike the surface of the far side of the moon early next month.
The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration has claimed it is from the Chang’e 5-T1 mission launched in 2014 as part of China’s lunar exploration programme. However, the Chinese foreign ministry has denied it.
It was previously misidentified as a booster rocket from SpaceX, the company owned by Elon Musk, the world’s richest man.
The moon crash is not expected to pose any danger. But the incident is a reminder that the elite group of spacefaring nations and companies is contributing to the accumulation of space junk.
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China’s Chang’e 5 lunar mission returns to Earth with moon samples
Such hi-tech debris increasingly poses a danger to satellites, spacecraft and astronauts. Communication systems on Earth may also be affected.
Such nations have a responsibility to protect and keep the moon’s environment clean, as it is expected to be studied and visited extensively in the coming decades. With space tourism now becoming a viable industry, and advanced weapons capable of travelling through outer space before returning to Earth, space cannot remain a free-for-all.
Some rules of the road are needed.
China complained to the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs after the Tianhe space station module had to manoeuvre twice last year to avoid potentially being hit by SpaceX’s Starlink satellites for high-speed internet use. Washington denied any danger in both cases.
China denies rocket set for moon crash was from 2014 mission
Such complaints and disputes are becoming more frequent. In November, Nasa complained that debris from a Soviet-era satellite destroyed by a Russian missile threatened the International Space Station.
Russia, however, countered that there was no danger, as two of its own cosmonauts were aboard the ISS at the time.
Whatever the rights and wrongs of such space disputes, it’s clear that cooperation and early warnings are needed between nations. Better designs for space equipment are a must so that once decommissioned, they can burn out while falling through the atmosphere.
There is now a dangerous space junkyard. Ensuring safety is the shared responsibility of hi-tech nations and companies.
