A plume of upper-atmospheric lithium pollution observed in February 2025 has been attributed to the re-entry of a specific rocket stage. The results, published in Communications Earth & Environment, ...

A SpaceX rocket that burned up after re-entering the atmosphere unleashed a plume of vaporised metals over Europe, a type of pollution that is expected to increase as spacecraft and satellites ...

"This study represents an important milestone in observing the influence of space sector activities on the atmosphere." When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission ...

Urban vehicle emissions are a critical contributor to atmospheric pollution, impacting air quality, public health, and climate systems. While exhaust emissions—such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), ...

To stop them from becoming space junk, satellite operators send spacecraft to burn up in the atmosphere at mission’s end. The environmental impacts are still uncertain. Early on a Sunday morning in ...

On February 19, 2025, a Falcon 9 rocket fell back toward Earth in an uncontrolled reentry, producing a massive fireball in the skies over Europe. On its way down, the rocket came near a lidar station ...

A rocket blasts off from a launchpad into a cloudy sky. A recent surge in space pollution is largely coming from the increasing launch of megaconstellations, such as SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, ...

In this photo, the upper stage of a rocket has broken apart and leaves multiple bright yellow streaks in the night sky above the city. On Feb. 19, 2025, pieces of the upper stage of a Falcon 9 rocket ...