Investigating the potential impact of spaceflight on Earth’s atmosphere

September 17, 2026

Chris Maloney

Hosted by Jim Hurrell and Jeff Pierce

Abstract

Human activity in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) has grown at a nearly exponential rate over the past few years with numerous projections showing even more rapid growth in the coming decades. This proliferation of activity has highlighted the need for research into potential environmental impacts. Rocket launches and the re-entry and ablation of debris release both gases and particles throughout the entire depth of the atmosphere. These emissions have the possibility of influencing ozone, mesospheric and stratospheric clouds, astronomy, atmospheric dynamics, and the thermosphere–ionosphere region. While there is a growing body of research which focuses on individual portions of this broad topic, there are major gaps in our understanding of the cumulative global effects and long-term sustainability. This presentation will cover the recent work investigating how future projections of increased emissions of black carbon from rocket launches and metals from satellite re-entry may impact Earth’s middle and upper atmosphere. It will also highlight critical knowledge gaps, and identify areas requiring additional research.