Borneo24.com – If you look at the garbage on earth, of course it is not a strange thing for us. However, who would have thought that trash was also found on the Moon.
From here the question must arise, why is there trash on the Moon? Who is taking out the trash? How much trash is there on the Moon? It turned out that dozens of debris from space debris were found on the Moon.
Among these is space junk, either left behind or sent by humans to the Moon. Garbage on the moon probably weighs up to 400 thousand pounds, or the equivalent of 181,000 kg on Earth.
So, how did this space junk get to the Moon?
NASA historian William Barry argues that this estimate sounds reasonable. This is because there are several heavy artifacts, such as the five Moon explorers that are still there.
Barry said most of the space junk on the Moon was left behind by NASA astronauts who landed on the lunar surface between 1969 and 1972 during the Apollo mission program.
“Meanwhile, other trash comes from unmanned missions from the space exploration agency, including from the United States, Russia, Japan, India and Europe,” said Barry as quoted from the compass.
The moon is also home to lunar orbiters who chart its terrain before hitting its surface and adding to the rubbish heap.
Barry further said that other equipment still working on the Moon has also helped scientists learn about Earth’s natural satellites.
For example, the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) was sent to the Moon to study hydrogen and to determine the presence of water. “The mission was successful, and until now LCROSS is still hanging on the lunar surface,” said Barry.
As for the objects left by NASA astronauts from the Apollo lunar missions, becoming space ‘trash’, they weren’t thinking of bringing unneeded equipment back to Earth.
Moreover, doing so would consume valuable resources, such as fuel.
“On any engineering project, like the Moon landing, you set up a mission to do what you need and nothing more,” said Barry. Barry further revealed that the real concern is, “Can we safely take the crew to the moon, can we? they get the samples they need and can we get them back intact ?, “he said. (***)
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