Euro boffins track lithium plume from Falcon 9 burn-up
theregister.com • • general
Key Points:
- Scientists have detected a massive lithium plume in the upper atmosphere caused by the uncontrolled re-entry and breakup of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket over Poland, marking the first measurement of pollution from space debris re-entry using ground-based lidar technology.
- The lithium plume, injected into the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere, showed a tenfold increase at 96 km altitude, with the rocket stage containing approximately 30 kg of lithium, far exceeding the daily natural lithium influx from cosmic dust.
- Researchers warn that increasing space traffic and re-entries may introduce engineered materials like aluminum alloys and rare earth elements into the atmosphere, potentially impacting radiative transfer, ozone chemistry, and aerosol microphysics in ways not yet fully understood.
- The study highlights
