The long-term goal of these programs includes creating infrastructure between Earth and the Moon that will facilitate continued exploration and even development. As a result, it is imperative to investigate the orbits of these debris objects to determine whether any pose a collision risk. In addition to impacting operational missions, collisions between debris objects will lead to breakup events, creating a cascade effect where more debris increases the likelihood of collisions. Credit: NASAThe team then explored the potential impact debris propagation could have on the lunar surface and objects in orbit. These will likely supplement existing and future protocols for mitigating debris in LEO by extending them all the way to the Moon.