Space Junk Contaminates Earth's Upper Atmosphere with Metal Aerosols

NASA aircraft have detected pollutants from burned-up space junk in the Earth's upper atmosphere for the first time. The high-altitude planes sampled the chemical composition of the stratosphere, finding traces of lithium, aluminum, copper, and lead. These pollutants, which reflect the ratio of compounds used in satellite manufacturing, could have detrimental effects on Earth's climate and the recovery of the ozone layer. With the rise of megaconstellations like SpaceX's Starlink, the number of satellites launched into orbit is increasing, leading to a sharp increase in satellite re-entries and the concentration of chemicals in the upper atmosphere.