Transcript:
When people burn fossil fuels, carbon dioxide is building in the atmosphere – warming the earth and making operating satellites in low-Earth orbit even more difficult.
As these satellites move around, hundreds of miles from the surface of the earth, they hide from millions of debris.
Parker: “Objects that are generated from explosions, collisions…even just abandoned old satellites and rocket corpses.”
Dr. Will Parker, MIT candidate, said most of the space garbage eventually falls out of the track because the atmosphere exerts resistance that the object reduces.
However, the rise in carbon dioxide levels causes the atmospheric portions of these satellites to become smaller, thus reducing drag.
Therefore, space garbage will stay in orbit for longer. The atmosphere will become more crowded. The risk of satellite conflict will increase.
In a recent study, Parker's team found that by 2100, the number of satellites that can safely operate in low-Earth orbit could be reduced by as much as 50% or more.
Parker: “It’s important because we rely on low-earth orbit to do all kinds of things – to communicate…for the internet, weather forecast.”
Therefore, changes in space will affect daily life on Earth.
Report Credit: Sarah Kennedy/Chavobart Digital Media
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