Prof. Sam LawlerJul 3

New SpaceX report on Starlink conjunctions and deorbits (a.k.a. dumping tons of metal/plastic/solar panels/computers into the upper atmosphere) https://www.scribd.com/document/883045105/SpaceX-Gen1-Gen2-Semi-Annual-Report-7-1-25

Scariest part:
472 Starlinks were burned up in the atmosphere in Dec-May. Assuming each satellite is 800kg, and 50% aluminum by mass, that's 1 ton of aluminum PER DAY.

The natural infall rate of aluminum from meteoroids is 0.3 tons per day. Starlink has been ~3x that, for the last 6 months.

SpaceX Gen1-Gen2 Semi-Annual Report (7!1!25) | PDF | Satellite | Space X

SpaceX FCC doc

Scribd
Show threadPetra van CronenburgJul 3
@sundogplanets Do you have a reading tip for laypersons about the effects aluminum has in the atmosphere?
I'm often asked by people who have no idea about satellites and believe that "everything vanishes in the air".
Show threadsimonbpJul 3

@NatureMC @sundogplanets So, we don't actually know, it's a large scale experiment on what happens when you throw off the balance in the least-understood part of the atmosphere (it's common to hear people call the ionosphere "the ignorosphere").

But there are initial indications that aluminum damages the ozone layer. Meaning that all work around the world for decades to restore the ozone layer could be undermined by satellite trash in a few years.

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

Show threadProf. Sam LawlerJul 3
@simonbp @NatureMC This article is maybe a bit more non-scientist-friendly: https://theconversation.com/thousands-of-satellites-are-due-to-burn-up-in-the-atmosphere-every-year-damaging-the-ozone-layer-and-changing-the-climate-251845
Thousands of satellites are due to burn up in the atmosphere every year – damaging the ozone layer and changing the climate

The number of satellites is exploding, and we still don’t have a fully safe way to dispose of them.

The Conversation
Show threadPetra van Cronenburg
@sundogplanets This is great, exactly what I searched for (I can give the link to laypersons). Thank you very much! @simonbp
Jul 3 at 2:39pmWeb