Scientists Chase Falling Satellite to Study Atmospheric Pollution from Spacecraft Reentries

Scientists take advantage of the magnificent aerial chase of a falling satellite to collect rare data on atmospheric pollution from the burnt spacecraft. In September 2024, a group of European researchers prepared an airplane with 26 cameras and flew into the night sky and made its vivid comeback on Earth over the Pacific Ocean to see the satellite cluster Salsa. The Mission, which was launched from the Easter Island, demanded chemical by-products that would have been issued during the small, meteor-like reverentry event. Despite the dazzle of bright natural light, the researchers first occupied satellite fracturing and chemicals images, as if it fell on Earth.

Satellite retrieces can affect ozone and climate, scientists warned

As Report Presented at the European conference on space debris, the reantry produced lithium, potassium, and aluminum emissions – elements with the ability to affect the ozone layer and the Earth’s climate. Stephen Lohle of Stuttgart University mentioned that the weak mark of satellite indicated that the pieces were closed and burnt with a lower speed than the prediction. The satellite began to disintegrate about 80 kilometers above sea level, and the observation stopped at an altitude of about 40 km due to extinction.

It is important to monitor such incidents as satellite rents grow in frequency. Although spacecrafts such as SpaceX’s Starlinks are designed to burn perfectly in the fleet, debris and dust particles can still affect the upper environment, scientists took caution. Aluminum oxide from melting satellites may be involved in long -term atmospheric effects, such as changes in thermal balance and ozone destruction.

This mission is only the fifth time when a spacecraft is again seen by the air. Researchers hope to align their collected data with computer models to estimate how much the mass satellite loses during dissolution and how this mass chemically interacts with the atmosphere. Data also suggests that some titanium components from the 550 kg cluster Salsa have survived and have landed in the Pacific Ocean.

As more satellites return to Earth, researchers plan to chase with Salsa’s sister-in-law-tango, and samba-expected to re-enter by 2026. Despite the boundaries of the day -to -day boundaries affecting some measurement techniques, these missions can help clarify how the spacecraft pollution affects the upper environment and climate of the Earth.