May 1, 2026
Leonard Schulz a, Karl-Heinz Glassmeier a b, Moritz Herberhold c, Adam Mitchell d, Daniel M. Murphy ef, John M.C. Plane g, Ferdinand Plaschke aa
“In general, from 2020 onward, a strong rise in space waste mass influx to the atmosphere can be seen, which has led to more than double the atmospheric injected mass in 2024 compared to levels from 2015 to 2020. Future scenarios discussed by Schulz and Glassmeier (2021) may already be reached by the end of 2025. In 2024, 24 elements were dominating the meteoric injection compared to 18 in 2015, this might increase to 30 in the future. Several of them are transition metals, which are known for their catalytic activity. This indicates a substantial risk of long-term adverse effects on the atmosphere such as ozone depletion, radiative effects and changes in cloud formation, if no action is taken. Research is urgently needed into the atmospheric accumulation, chemistry, and general atmospheric effects of specific elements.”
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273117726003509