XPost: sci.misc
Humanity's satellite habit could end up choking Earth's ozone layer
Just when you think we've solved chlorofluorocarbons
Large numbers of low Earth orbit satellites such as those operated by
Starlink could pose a threat to the planet's ozone layer once they
re-enter the atmosphere, according to recent research.
Constellations of small satellites being deployed for purposes such as broadband coverage typically have a relatively short life span, said
to be about five years for Starlink, after which they re-enter the
atmosphere and burn up, with replacements sent up to take over their
roles.
But researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) say
that this leads to the generation of aluminum oxides in the
atmosphere, which are known to accelerate ozone depletion. The large
number of satellites involved - Starlink alone was estimated to have
6,078 satellites in orbit as of May 2024 - could mean this presents a
serious risk.
https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/25/satellite_reentry_ozone
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