Artemis II photos – Both spacecraft and space debris are traveling at extremely high speeds, making such things difficult to see. (Image: NASA) As stunning images from NASA’s Artemis II mission continue to circulate, many viewers have noticed something missing: space junk. With growing warnings about debris orbiting Earth, some have wondered why none of it is visible in photographs taken during the mission’s lunar flight.

The answer lies in how space works and how difficult it is to actually see such objects. Growing concerns in orbit Scientists have long warned about the increasing amount of debris around Earth.

This could be anything from a dead satellite to fragments from earlier missions. An often raised threat is that of Kessler syndrome – a scenario where a collision produces even more space debris, increasing the likelihood of other collisions.