New research indicates greenhouse gas emissions that can affect the launch of satellites in the future. With its accumulation, pollution causes the upper atmosphere to shrink, which may raise the risk of satellite collision in orbit.
It is another way that fossil fuel emissions have a tangible impact on the things that people depend on daily, especially since telecommunications companies work to launch Megaconstellits from satellites in orbit. It turns out that space is a limited resource – and it should be better managed because climate change makes things more restricted, as studying authors claim.
William Parker, author of the book “The Face”, says, and I think we must stop saying that. ” TicketWhich was published today in Nature’s sustainabilityPhD candidate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “People do not realize that the issue of space sustainability is in fact an issue that directly affects them.”
“We really got to the end of the” Great Space “era” big “
Heat greenhouse gas emissions trap in the lower atmosphere, raising the average global temperatures on Earth. Other side effects are less heat that make it in the upper atmosphere of the Earth, and the heat that is more easily in space. This leads to cooling and contraction in the upper atmosphere. Parker says you can think about it like a balloon that shrinks if you put it in the freezer.
People depend on a strong atmosphere for the withdrawal of dead satellites and other orbital debris, most of which eventually burn while falling into the atmosphere. But when the atmosphere becomes less dense, it reduces clouds on the wreckage of space, allowing it to stay in orbit for a longer period – and its life extends over other organisms.
The capacity of the satellite can decrease between 50 to 66 percent between the altitudes of 200 and 1000 km above the ground, according to the study. This will be 75 years from now, in a The worst scenario With high greenhouse gas emissions from continuous fossil fuel development and intense energy lifestyles on Earth. Fortunately, this means that there is still some time to reduce the risks that greenhouse gas emissions can be posed. in Midript scenario This is a more likely result, with moderate greenhouse gas emissions during the end of the century, the absorptive capacity will decrease at the same rises between 24 to 33 percent.
This will remain a major change that satellite operators must prepare for it, especially since the lower Earth orbit has become more crowded. Humans have About 20,650 satellites were launched in space since 1957, about 11,100 still work. These numbers have Risen Over the past decade, with the emergence of internet services via satellite. SPACEX is said to have plans to send up to some extent 42000 Satellite In orbit.
Creations are a growing concern The unwanted depends on space. Spacex satellites have to perform 50,000 maneuvers to avoid collision In the first half of 2024 only to avoid spacecraft and other debris. As greenhouse gas emissions grow, you may have to maneuver on more obstacles.
There was Previous research In how greenhouse gas emissions cause contraction and cooling in the upper atmosphere. The study published today is the first attempt to determine the effect of decreasing the density of the atmosphere on the tropical capacity of the Earth’s orbit, according to Petr šácha, a researcher in the Department of Physics at the Charles University at Charles University who did not participate in the new paper. Parker and his colleagues used models in the atmosphere to estimate the number of satellites that can rotate safely depending on the scenarios of various greenhouse gas emissions. Šácha notes that there are other factors that can cause homosexuality in the short term in the density, however, especially given a little understanding that scientists have about how gravitational waves respond to changes in the atmosphere caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
Parker wants to make sure that we can avoid the turning point where all traffic in the lower Earth orbit leads to successive collisions, which may lead to the loss of humans to reach certain parts of the area, such as closing the road after the accumulation of the highway. At this stage, humans depend on the satellites for daily services – from GPS to weather forecast.
“We all want to make sure that future generations are able to take advantage of the benefits we get from space,” says Parker. “I think the goal behind this paper is to involve the audience a little … The sustainability of space affects them. To make sure that it is inside the satellite operator community, people realize that this resource is limited and that it changes.”
