The moon is poised to become a dumping ground for defunct satellites and spacecraft as lunar activity accelerates over the next two decades. With hundreds of missions planned – including NASA’s Lunar Gateway, Chinese-Russian bases, and the ESA’s Moonlight constellation – the issue of lunar debris disposal is no longer hypothetical; it’s an impending reality. Unlike Earth, where satellites burn up in the atmosphere, the moon’s lack of an atmosphere means there is no natural cleanup mechanism.
The Coming Flood of Lunar Debris
The surge in lunar missions will inevitably lead to a growing number of dead satellites. Without a viable alternative, the most practical solution for operators is to intentionally crash these satellites onto the lunar surface. This approach isn’t just a last resort; it’s the most cost-effective given the limitations of current technology and orbital mechanics. Sending satellites into solar orbit or maintaining stable, remote lunar orbits requires substantial fuel expenditure and faces challenges due to the moon’s irregular gravitational field.
The real concern is not simply the presence of debris, but where it lands. Impacts at speeds of 1.2 miles per second will generate significant vibrations, potentially disrupting sensitive scientific instruments. Scars from these crashes could span tens of meters, and the resulting dust clouds threaten to obscure telescopes and damage equipment.
Protecting Lunar Landmarks
Researchers are already discussing establishing designated “graveyard zones” – specific areas where spacecraft can be crashed without threatening culturally or scientifically significant locations. These include the first astronaut footprints, ongoing missions, and pristine areas of scientific interest.
“Establishing graveyard zones on the moon is the most practical solution,” says Ben Hooper, senior project manager at SSTL. “Designating specific regions as ‘impact zones’ would limit the spread of human artefacts across the lunar surface.”
The UN’s Action Team on Lunar Activities Consultation (Atlac) and the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) are working towards best practices, but concrete regulations are still under development. The US Artemis Accords also promote this approach, suggesting that controlled crashes into designated zones will be the standard.
Turning a Problem into an Opportunity
Interestingly, the intentional crashes may not be entirely destructive. Researchers suggest that impacts from known objects could generate seismic waves, offering a unique opportunity to study the moon’s internal structure. By controlling mass, geometry, and speed, scientists can create a controlled experiment to map the lunar interior.
The inevitable accumulation of spacecraft debris on the moon is a direct consequence of expanding space activities. While regulations and designated impact zones can mitigate damage, the long-term effect will be the creation of artificial lunar landscapes, forever marked by human presence.
