Experts warn of space junk crashing to earth, says a concern for earth, human

Experts have warned that at least three old satellites or rocket bodies fall back to Earth every day and the number of objects returning from space is set to increase, a possible concern for the health of Earth’s atmosphere and for the safety of humans on the ground. They said: “Eventually we’re going to get […]

Experts have warned that at least three old satellites or rocket bodies fall back to Earth every day and the number of objects returning from space is set to increase, a possible concern for the health of Earth’s atmosphere and for the safety of humans on the ground.

They said: “Eventually we’re going to get unlucky, and someone is going to get hurt by falling space debris.

“Over 46,000 space debris fragments more than 4 inches wide now clutter Earth’s orbit.”

The Space Environment Report, released by the European Space Agency (ESA) recently found that some 1,200 “intact objects” reentered the atmosphere in 2024, in addition to countless space debris fragments.

It said: “Despite this incessant rain of junk battering the atmosphere, the amount of space debris increased over the course of 2024, with an estimated 45,700 objects larger than 3 inches (10 centimeters) now orbiting the planet. Some of the new junk consists of satellites that naturally reached the end of their lives.

“But on top of that, several orbital collisions and explosions added at least 3,000 new trackable fragments over the course of 2024. In addition to that, there are currently about 9,300 active spacecraft circling Earth, and further launches continue to add more.”

The world’s leading expert on space debris, astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell said “the new report underlines that space activity has now increased to the point where we are having a real effect on the environment both in space and in the upper atmosphere.”                    

Meanwhile, as a result of these reentries, however, the amount of space junk burning up in the upper layers of the atmosphere is increasing, which worries some atmospheric scientists. Satellites are mostly made of aluminum, which produces aluminum oxide when burned. Scientists have long said aluminum oxide can accelerate ozone depletion and contribute to thermal changes in the upper atmosphere.