The rapid expansion of the space industry has resulted in an unprecedented pace of rocket launches and satellites to orbit. Over the past 15 years, rocket launches have nearly tripled, and the number of satellites orbiting Earth has surged tenfold. This has raised significant concerns about the environmental impacts of space activities. Current industry practice is to deorbit satellites at the end of their life by re-entering them into Earth’s atmosphere. This process is contributing to a growing environmental issue, which highlights a gap in our understanding of the impacts of re-entry on atmospheric chemistry and behaviour.
The re-entry of space debris, which releases hundreds of tons of metallic particles into the atmosphere annually, could have far-reaching consequences, including potential disruptions to the recovery of the ozone hole by introduction of new long-lived ozone depleting substance into the atmosphere. With projections estimating that up to 100,000 satellites could orbit the planet by the end of the decade, the threat of atmospheric contamination is becoming more pressing. High-altitude air pollution from rocket exhaust and satellite re-entries could persist for decades or centuries, with unanticipated consequences for our atmosphere and climate.
This PhD project, based at University of Otago, will provide key insights and recommendations for the management and mitigation of satellite atmospheric re-entry, by building on current understanding of the role of ozone in the atmosphere and climate system, as represented in the Community Earth System Model (CESM2).
For more information contact Associate Professor Annika Seppälä, or Dr Priyanka Dhopade (Department of Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering, University of Auckland), who will co-supervise the project.