Dying satellites can drive climate change and ozone depletion, study finds
Aluminium emissions from satellites as they fall to Earth and burn up is becoming more significant as their numbers soar
Right now there are more than 9,000 satellites circumnavigating overhead, keeping track of weather, facilitating communications, aiding navigation and monitoring the Earth. By 2040, there could be more than 60,000. A new study shows that the emissions from expired satellites, as they fall to Earth and burn up, will be significant in future years, with implications for ozone hole recovery and climate.