Deorbiting satellites: Are mega-constellations damaging the ozone layer?

Deutschlandfunk presented the results on the impact of nitrogen oxides from incinerating space debris on the middle and upper atmosphere of the research network together with a complementary study on aluminum from space debris by the University of Southern California.

Space debris is a major issue for space safety. In this context, there is a growing norm of disposal of orbital debris through atmospheric re-entry. The few existing studies, including modelling by the Leibniz Research Network “Earth & Societies”, agree that the projected exponential growth of satellites in Low-Earth Orbits (LEO) may come at the expense of damaging the integrity of the middle and upper atmosphere, with potentially unforeseeable consequences. Scientists of the research network argue that sustainable LEO management requires overcoming what they call 'atmosphere-blindness': the limited understanding of the connections between space and the Earth system through orbital disposal practices and their impacts on the atmosphere. In their view, it is thus crucially important to undertake more interdisciplinary research on the issue of de-orbiting, as it is not merely a technical environmental problem, but also an inherently political matter of environmental justice on a planetary scale.