Mastodawn

More reasons to say "No!" to #SpaceX and #Starlink (and other unnecessary satellites!).

SpaceX rocket fireball linked to plume of polluting lithium

Georgina Rannard, Science reporter, February 19, 2025

Excerpts: "When a SpaceX rocket failure set the skies aflame over western Europe last February, no-one was sure if the debris was also polluting our #atmosphere.

"Now scientists are directly linking the uncontrolled rocket re-entry to a plume of #lithium measured less than 100km above Earth.

"It is the first time researchers have drawn a direct link between a known piece of #SpaceDebris crashing to Earth and #pollution levels.

They warn that as SpaceX chief #ElonMusk pledges to launch one million satellites in the coming years, this #contamination could be the tip of the iceberg."

[...]

"Earlier research has suggested that 10% of aerosols in the atmosphere are already contaminated by space debris.

"SpaceX has not responded to emailed requests from BBC News for comment. The researchers also sent their findings to the company but did not receive a response.

"Almost 30,000 pieces of debris are calculated to be free-floating in space, created when rockets break up in space or satellites disintegrate.

"Scientists warn that the debris is congesting space and threatens collision with rockets, the International Space Station, and our planet.

"Musk's SpaceX is the world's leading company for rocket launches including for sending humans into space and maintaining a network of 10,000 Starlink internet satellites.

"Musk recently announced he has applied to launch one million satellites to support #ArtificialIntelligence (#AI) data centres in space.

"Scientists warn that as humans move more activities off-Earth, more debris will fall to Earth, polluting as it plummets."

#LithiumPollution #AtmosphericPollution #NoAIInSpace #NoDatacentersInSpace #LEO #KesslerEffect #SpaceJunk #DarkSkies #LowerEarthOrbit #LEO #AIBullshitMachines #TechBros #xAI #Technopoly #SpacePollution
#AISucks #DataCenters #SkyNet #KesslerSyndrome #USPol #WorldPol #SpaceNews

SpaceX rocket fireball linked to plume of lithium

A SpaceX Falcon 9 crashed to Earth last year. Now scientists have measured the pollution it caused.

Science Fiction Club Deutschland e.V.1d ago

Eine Lithiumwolke in 96 Kilometern Höhe bringt Forscher auf eine heiße Spur: Was bleibt eigentlich übrig, wenn Raketen in der Atmosphäre verglühen? #sfcd #raumfahrt #raketen #weltraumschrott #lithium

Weltraumschrott: Forscher find...

Forscher finden Spuren von Raumfahrt in der Atmosphäre

Eine Lithiumwolke in 96 Kilometern Höhe bringt Forscher auf eine heiße Spur: Was bleibt eigentlich übrig, wenn Raketen in der Atmosphäre verglühen?

Spektrum.de

Robert Glattau 1d ago

Was durch die Verschmutzung der oberen #Atmosphäre in rd. 95 Km Höhe auf uns zukommt, ist nicht mal ansatzweise erforscht. Teaser: „Das gemessene #Lithium stammt vor allem aus Lithium-Ionen-Batterien und Lithium-Aluminium-Legierungen für die Rumpfverkleidung.” #Musk #SpaceX
https://science.orf.at/stories/3234281/

Weltraumschrott: Verglühte Rakete verschmutzt Atmosphäre

Wenn Weltraumschrott in der Atmosphäre verglüht, kann er zu Verschmutzungen führen. Fachleute haben Spuren davon nun erstmals in der oberen Atmosphäre gemessen – 20 Stunden, nachdem ein Teil einer SpaceX-Rakete von Elon Musk verglüht war.

ORF.at

RTN 1d ago

#dpa / #Spektum:
"
Forscher finden Spuren von Raumfahrt in der Atmosphäre

Eine Lithiumwolke in 96 Kilometern Höhe bringt Forscher auf eine heiße Spur: Was bleibt eigentlich übrig, wenn Raketen in der Atmosphäre verglühen?
"
"Die Wissenschaftler schickten ihren Artikel und die zugrunde liegenden Daten an SpaceX .. keine Antwort."

https://www.spektrum.de/news/weltraumschrott-spuren-von-raumfahrt-in-der-atmosphaere/2311327

19.2.2026

#Atmosphäre #Erde #Falcon9 #Lidar #Lithium #Raumfahrt #SpaceFlight #SpaceX #Weltraummüll #Weltraumschrott #Wiedereintritt

Forscher finden Spuren von Raumfahrt in der Atmosphäre

Eine Lithiumwolke in 96 Kilometern Höhe bringt Forscher auf eine heiße Spur: Was bleibt eigentlich übrig, wenn Raketen in der Atmosphäre verglühen?

Spektrum.de

Kuuke's Sterrenbeelden 1d ago

Terugkerende SpaceX-raketten vervuilen de bovenste atmosfeer met metaal
Voor het eerst konden wetenschappers rechtstreeks vervuiling van de bovenste atmosfeer door ruimteafval detecteren.
#aarde #atmosfeer #Falcon9 #lidar #lithium #ruimtevaart #spacex #vervuiling
https://www.kuuke.nl/terugkerende-spacex-raketten-vervuilen-de-bovenste-atmosfeer-met-metaal/

Show thread

Kevin Karhan

1d ago

@W_Lucht @faket @EUCommission relative…

Obviously the #EU has yet to go 100% renewables!
The #externalization is due to #production cycles being moved overseas: I.e. all the #energy needed to make #Lithium batteries for #BEV is not spend in #Europe but the "P.R." #China, thus doesn't come up on it's balances.

Same for a lot of other #Resources and #Products:

Very few #EnergyIntensive production cycles are #domestic in the EU (i.e. engineering- and medical grade metal alloys) and by tonnage they are miniscule in comparison to global mainstream products (i.e. standard/low grade steel and aluminium).
- The products "#MadeInEU" are either "cutting edge" and/or
- so highly spechalized that there ain't much of competitiors (i.e. aerospace parts) or
- artificially kept local due to import tariffs and/or subsidies (i.e. farming & #automotive) or
- too expensive to outsorce due to low volumetric product value and/or high shipoing costs (i.e. [toilet] paper) or
- politically undesired to be externalized (i.e. military / defense) or
domestic nieche demand productsvwith too little demand for external producers to try to distrupt ( i.e. #PersonalLightVehicles)…

K_CGN 2d ago

👍#FriendlyCountries #Australia #Germany

Industrie: #VulcanEnergy

Home: https://v-er.eu/de/

#Lithium #HorstKreuter

Startseite - VULCAN ENERGY RESOURCES

Vulcan will die Transformation hin zu einer klimaneutralen Zukunft vorantreiben. Im Rahmen des Zero Carbon Lithium™ Projekts ...

VULCAN ENERGY RESOURCES

Der Rabe Ralf 3d ago

Der Lithium-Mummum geht um: Im Erzgebirge soll Lithium in riesigen Mengen abgebaut werden. Um die Energiewende geht es dabei kaum noch.
https://www.raberalf.de/oekologie/der-lithium-mummum-geht-um
#Lithium #Resource