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SpaceX's Starlink May Be Keeping the Ozone From Healing, Research Finds

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

Lutra ,

One thing to note - The science is still calculating. Yet. SpaceX (and presumably others) are allowed to continue and increase what they're doing. This is the bass ackwards way to protect future us.

Its the same mentality as driving in a random direction for 20 minutes while someone looks in the car for the map on the off chance that when you get the map open you'll be where you wanted to be anyway.

It has the potential (and at this point, just the potential) for planet level changes, and is being done by one group. Should I, a random dude, be able to do something that might possibly affect the entire planet, and the planet as a whole just have to wait and see how it turns out?

The hopeful thought that its probably nothing, before anyone can prove that it's probably nothing, makes a bet where the short term wins are mine, but any long term losses are everyone else's.

tyler ,

The roughly 10-centimetre-long cube is made of magnolia-wood panels and has an aluminium frame, solar panels, circuit boards and sensors. The panels incorporate Japanese wood-joinery methods that do not rely on glue or metal fittings.

When LignoSat plunges back to Earth, after six months to a year of service, the magnolia will incinerate completely and release only water vapour and carbon dioxide

Huh? I’m confused.

Gsus4 OP ,
@Gsus4@programming.dev avatar

heh, yea, the satellites are not just wood for sure, they goofed. But it's less metals, which helps.

bstix ,

The article linked at he bottom has a picture and more info on the wooden satellites.

https://futurism.com/the-byte/japanese-scientists-wooden-satellite

tyler ,

uh. that article has less information? Unless you're seeing something I don't. My comment literally has more information about the satellite than the futurism article.

bstix ,

Your quote is not from the OP article, or maybe it's been changed.

tyler ,

I have two quotes. One from the OP article and the second from the article you linked.

FJT ,

Ozone hoax just like global warming

Burn_The_Right ,

It's some small comfort that a conservative's ability to construct a complete sentence is matched by their ability to formulate a complete thought.

jorp ,

Only you know the truth!

Snowpix ,
@Snowpix@lemmy.ca avatar

Y'know... it's better to let everyone think you're an idiot than to prove everyone right by saying something this stupid.

noktastrigo ,

In a difference timeline this would be obvious sarcasm. We are not in that timeline.

ugjka ,
@ugjka@lemmy.world avatar

Enjoy your skincancer

Buddahriffic ,

Next thing they are going to say asbestos is dangerous even though I've touched it before without dying!

And in a recent survey, 9 out of 10 tobacco executives say, "Don't worry about safety, just have another smooth tasting premium filtered cigarette!"

iAvicenna ,
@iAvicenna@lemmy.world avatar

ah but it helps Elon make money (maybe?) and Elon knows what is best for us, so that is fine

autotldr Bot ,

This is the best summary I could come up with:

While researchers have largely focused on the pollutants being released by rockets as they launch, we've only begun to understand the implications of having thousands of retired and malfunctioning satellites burn up in the atmosphere.

"Only in recent years have people started to think this might become a problem," said coauthor and University of Southern California astronautics researcher Joseph Wang in a statement.

Since it's practically impossible to get accurate readings from the kind of pollutants satellites release as they scream back through the atmosphere, scientists can only estimate their effects on the surrounding environment.

By studying how common metals used in the construction of satellites interact with each other, the team estimated that the presence of aluminum increased in the atmosphere by almost 30 percent in 2022 alone.

They found that a 550-pound satellite generates roughly 66 pounds of aluminum oxide nanoparticles during reentry, which would take up to 30 years to drift down into the stratosphere.

"The environmental impacts from the reentry of satellites are currently poorly understood," the researchers note in their paper.

The original article contains 371 words, the summary contains 176 words. Saved 53%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

timmymac ,

That's just dumb virtue signalling crap.

i_have_no_enemies ,

futurism article... seriously?

Gsus4 OP , (edited )
@Gsus4@programming.dev avatar

There was the scientific article and the abstract in the body of the post if you wanted to read it, wtf more do you want?

neclimdul ,

Buy a ticket to mars. Problem solved.

pewgar_seemsimandroid ,

Give calyx some airwaves.

StaySquared ,

How about.. HAARP? I would place my focus on HAARP.

bbuez ,

What about it?

turmacar ,

As fun as it might be to harp (ha) on them. It's unlikely that a 30 year old atmospheric research station is a bond style earthquake machine.

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