Imagine the process of sending a significant amount of metals and other materials out of the Earth’s crust and dispersing them into the atmosphere from space. This is essentially what has been occurring since the start of the Space Age, with a growing number of rocket stages, satellites, and related objects reaching the end of their lifespan as they disintegrate in the Earth’s atmosphere. Instead of disappearing completely, the debris from these events lingers to some extent in the atmosphere, creating pockets of material. Due to the conductive nature of this material, it is likely to impact the Earth’s magnetic field, as argued by Sierra Solter-Hunt in an article that has not yet been published.
A summary provided by Dr. Tony Phillips refers to a 2023 NASA research article by Daniel M. Murphy et al., which reveals that approximately 10% of the aerosol particles in the stratosphere consist of aluminum and other metals derived from the ‘burn-up’ of the aforementioned space objects. This discovery can contribute to an increase in the Debye length of the ionosphere. While the specific effects of this phenomenon remain largely unknown, it is a fact that we are launching a significantly higher number of objects into space compared to just a decade ago, resulting in a corresponding increase in the number of objects in low Earth orbit (LEO).
Though Sierra’s speculation may be considered ‘alarmist’, the research question about the potential consequences of having daily disintegration of Starlink and other satellites in the atmosphere over the coming years is a valid one. The likelihood of coating the stratosphere and ionosphere, particularly with metal aerosols at unprecedented levels, warrants proactive research rather than waiting for unusual occurrences to manifest.
