Dead satellites produce 17 tons of ozone-depleting particles annually, study shows

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According to a new study, internet satellites produce chemicals at the end of their life that damage the ozone layer.

At the end of a satellite’s life, engineers have two options: either they slow it down enough to force it out of orbit and burn up in the atmosphere, which is called “uncontrolled reentry.”

The other task is to control the descent of the satellite and land it in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean.

When satellites burn up, they produce aluminum oxides: a group of particles that “can linger in the atmosphere for decades” and are known to cause “significant ozone depletion,” according to a study published in the journal The Earth. Geophysical Research Letters.

The study found that reentering satellites in 2022 would cause an increase in the amount of aluminum oxide in the atmosphere by 29.5 percent, or 17 tons.

“It’s only in the last few years that people have started to think this could be a problem,” said Joseph Wang, an astronaut researcher at the University of Southern California and corresponding author of the study.

“We were one of the first teams to look at the potential consequences of these facts.”

According to the study, the lifespan of an average internet satellite is about five years.

“Companies must then launch replacement satellites to maintain internet service, perpetuating a cycle of planned obsolescence and unplanned pollution,” a press release on the study said. reads.

Scientists estimate that the construction of mega-satellites could increase aluminum oxide emissions to over 260 tons per year, or 640 percent above natural levels.

SpaceX, the market leader in the satellite industry, as well as the European Space Agency and the US Space Development Agency plan to build their own constellations in the near future.

Scientists estimate that 6,000 of the 8,100 satellites in low Earth orbit are Starlink satellites launched in recent years.

Euronews Next has reached out to SpaceX for comment but has not received a response at the time of publication.