A114. If we pollute the Moon, will this cause damage to Earth and other planets? (A K2S Question)
From The Space Library
The Moon is an airless, lifeless rock bathed in radiation. It is not impossible to establish a human presence there, but the concept of pollution has to have a different meaning in space. In the context of pollution rendering a place unfit for human habitation, this will be true only to the extent that we've established a human presence. People on the Moon will learn to recycle and not waste in order to avoid pollution of their living environment. In the context of pollution rendering a place unfit for scientific study, there is a risk. There is concern that leaked gases from industrial processes like oxygen mining will degrade the performance of astronomical telescopes. This has to be put in the context of an environment which is far superior to the surface of the Earth for telescopes of any wavelength. In the context of lunar pollution damaging the Earth or other planets, this is highly unlikely. The Moon is about a quarter of a million miles away from Earth, and even something as catastrophic as a moonbase's nuclear power plant accidentally blowing up could not be foreseen as having any terrestrial consequences.
Answer provided by Thomas Matula, Ph.D. & Kenneth J. Murphy
Question and Answer extracted from the book Kids to Space - by Lonnie Schorer
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