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.
@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
@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
@sundogplanets @simonbp @NatureMC
Thanks added to an expanding blog post to collate related content
