Satellite megaconstellations threaten ozone layer recovery, study confirms

image via Space.com

June 26, 2024, 2:10 PM

• •Concentrations of ozone-damaging aluminum oxides in Earth's atmosphere could increase by 650% in the coming decades due to a rise in the number of defunct satellites burning up during reentry
• •The authors of the study say rising concentrations of satellite-induced pollutants could cause 'potentially significant' ozone depletion
• •The researchers found that in 2022, about 332 metric tons of old satellites burned up in the atmosphere, generating 17 metric tons of aluminum oxide particles in the process

A new study has found that concentrations of ozone-damaging aluminum oxides in Earth's atmosphere could increase by 650% in the coming decades due to a rise in the number of defunct satellites burning up during reentry. The authors of the study say rising concentrations of satellite-induced pollutants could cause "potentially significant" ozone depletion and thus thwart the ozone layer's slow and steady recovery.

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