Scientists of the Chinese Academy of Sciences studied the scattering of space debris clouds in distant retrograde orbits in the Earth-Moon system. The results of the study testify,
that space debris is present not only in low Earth orbit, and also in the lunar space, which creates potential collision risks for future manned and unmanned missions
to the moon.
Modeling showed, that the cumulative fraction of fragments in the "protected zone" around the Moon during 30 days remains low (Less 3,5%). At the same time, individual debris can stay in this area for weeks.
Given the growing number of lunar missions and plans to create a permanent infrastructure, researchers emphasize the need for comprehensive risk assessment, development of safety rules and mitigation strategies to prevent littering of space between the Earth and the Moon.
Source: https://universemagazine.com