Scientific research determines a huge pollution footprint from the launch of more commercial communication satellites into low-Earth orbit, but scientists are asking if the United States is prepared to handle the impacts. With an estimated 10,000 new satellites a year, some 60,000 satellites could soon be scattered across the stratosphere by 2040.
While the environmental impact of the launch and reentry of thousands of satellites is not fully understood, early indications of the 8,100 telecom satellites currently in orbit shows an alteration of stratospheric temperatures and ozone coverage, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).
“The sheer volume of atmospheric pollution from this satellite revolution is not on our national radar,” Tim Whitehouse, PEER executive director and a former senior enforcement attorney with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said. “The need for inter-agency and international cooperation in addressing these space impacts is becoming urgent, just as the U.S. has begun to retreat dramatically from climate science and global eco-coordination.”
The environmental impact comes from the discharge of metals, such as aluminum, lithium, and copper, into the atmosphere due to three common reasons, research confirmed. The first is the burning of old satellites upon reentry into the atmosphere. With a life-span of five years, each satellite creates a “shower” of metal particles onto Earth. The next reason is the continuous discharge of liquefied natural gas, which powers the launches and moves the satellite to avoid collisions. The third reason is due to collisions of satellites beecause of the mass amounts in orbit from different companies and countries.
“A huge and expanding chemistry experiment is taking place in our atmosphere while we fire the scientists needed to monitor it,” Whitehouse said. “Unfortunately, and unbelievably, the person best positioned to profit from lax satellite regulation has been put in charge of dismantling the oversight agencies and eliminating their scientific capacity.”
As NASA, NOAA, and the National Science Foundation face major cutbacks, PEER said the scientific entities tracking these environmental impacts and pollution footprint are most important right now so the United States can monitor and prepare for the mega-constellations set to takeoff.
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