SpaceX's growing Starlink megaconstellation could be hindering the Earth's ozone layer from healing itself, researchers find.

Abstract from the paper in the article:

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024GL109280

Large constellations of small satellites will significantly increase the number of objects orbiting the Earth. Satellites burn up at the end of service life during reentry, generating aluminum oxides as the main byproduct. These are known catalysts for chlorine activation that depletes ozone in the stratosphere. We present the first atomic-scale molecular dynamics simulation study to resolve the oxidation process of the satellite’s aluminum structure during mesospheric reentry, and investigate the ozone depletion potential from aluminum oxides. We find that the demise of a typical 250-kg satellite can generate around 30 kg of aluminum oxide nanoparticles, which may endure for decades in the atmosphere. Aluminum oxide compounds generated by the entire population of satellites reentering the atmosphere in 2022 are estimated at around 17 metric tons. Reentry scenarios involving mega-constellations point to over 360 metric tons of aluminum oxide compounds per year, which can lead to significant ozone depletion.

PS: wooden satellites can help mitigate this https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01456-z

  • @IEatAsbestosEnglish
    13•6 months ago

    Idk, i think SpaceX is catching a lot of heat just because they have musk “at the helm”. He doesnt even do anything there, he isnt an aerospace engineer. They just let him sit in mission control so he can feel special. The actual work spacex is doing is revolutionary. Reuseable rockets are a seriously groundbreaking development. Almost everything you do these days relies on a sattelite connection, so doing that cheaper, more reliably, and less wastefully is massive.

    Starlink is a different matter tho, its just another ISP but with a fancy connection method.

    • @[email protected]English
      2•6 months ago

      Almost everything you do these days relies on a sattelite connection

      Except GPS and satellite TV, say what now?

      My internet doesn’t rely on satellite, neither does basically anything else

      • @afraid_of_zombiesEnglish
        5•6 months ago

        Can you imagine the world without GPS at this point?

        In any case since you asked the biggest things besides those are weather predictions, spying, part of the large region emergency response systems, research, and land management.

    • @eyeonEnglish
      1•6 months ago

      I think starlink is more than that as even more things rely on a (good) Internet connection ingeneral than rely on satellites, and traditional connectivity methods leave many people underserved even in countries like America let alone the world.

      It definitely has its problems, if nothing else that it’s privately owned and anyone who wanted to compete would then massively amplify those problems.