Science and Exploration

Space Debris Leftovers Linked to Stratospheric Pollution

By Leonard David

SpaceRef

November 10, 2023

Filed under Air Pollution, reentry

Space Debris Leftovers Linked to Stratospheric Pollution — Reentering space refuse has been linked to pollution of Earth’s upper stratosphere.

Image credit: The Aerospace Corporation.

Experts around the planet agree: Earth orbit is a heavenly mess and getting messier. Decades in the making, human-made space clutter — from discarded rocket stages, lifeless satellites, and other sorts of cosmic compost — now encircles our planet.

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Leonard David

Leonard is author of Moon Rush: The New Space Race, Mars – Our Future on the Red Planet, and co-authored with Apollo 11’s Buzz Aldrin of Mission to Mars – My Vision for Space Exploration - all published by the National Geographic Society.