When satellites burn up upon re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, they release particles and gases, including metals like aluminium, which may affect atmospheric chemistry. This process, known as atmospheric ablation, is still poorly understood, but early evidence suggests metal content in the atmosphere is rising. To address these uncertainties, the UK Space Agency commissioned three targeted studies to investigate the potential impacts of satellite re-entry. We spoke to Professor Minkawn Kim from the University of Southampton about his findings.

You can hear the Professor’s chat with Maria from 2024 here.

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The atmospheric impacts of satellite re-entry.