"Growing Space Junk Crisis: Lack of Responsibility for Cleanup Threatens Earth and Moon"

The increasing number of lunar missions and satellite launches by governments and private companies is leading to a crowded near-Earth environment, both in orbit and on the Moon. The lack of governance and regulation around space debris poses significant hazards and challenges. Currently, there are thousands of objects and millions of pieces of debris in Earth's orbit, including defunct spacecraft and discarded items. The United Nations Outer Space Treaty and Moon Agreement have limitations in addressing the issue, and national interests often take precedence over conservation efforts. Scientists argue for the United Nations to regulate the orbital space environment as a global commons to prevent a tragedy of the commons scenario. Without effective regulation, space junk and waste will continue to accumulate, posing risks to future space exploration.