The moon is about to get another crater: A four-ton hunk of space junk will careen into the lunar surface early Friday. Astronomers say it will be the first unintentional impact of human-made debris on the lunar surface.
Over 36,500 pieces of space debris orbit the earth, and as we make more trips into space and launch more satellites it’s becoming harder to avoid. WSJ’s George Downs reports on how governments and companies are working to clean up space junk through new technology and regulation.
Photo: European Space Agency/AFP/Getty ImagesJust before 7:26 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, a four-ton hunk of space junk will careen into the lunar surface at nearly 5,800 miles an hour, pulled there by the moon’s gravity. The object, believed to be a spent Chinese rocket booster, is expected to leave a crater up to 65 feet in diameter.
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