When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.Scientists are using a new technique to study incoming space debris and its effects on Earth’s atmosphere.Observational evidence is being gathered that the ablation of space debris can be detected by ground-based light detection and ranging (LiDAR), a remote-sensing technology that uses laser beams to measure precise distances and movement in an environment, in real time.AdvertisementAdvertisementLast year, for the first time, a lithium cloud in the upper atmosphere was linked to the reentry of a rocket stage. This event took place on Feb. 19-20, 2025 with the detection of a lithium cloud 10 times higher than is typical. Back-trajectory analysis indicated the lidar-probed air mass originated from a location west of Ireland that coincided with the atmospheric reentry of a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage.Anthropogenic impacts”Lithium is a crucial species for investigating anthropogenic impacts on the middle atmosphere because of its extensive use in the space industry,” reported Michael Gerding, a scientist in the optical and rocket soundings department of the Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) at the University of Rostock in Kühlungsborn, Germany.”Ablation of reentering satellites and rocket stages is expected to become a significant source of metals in the mesosphere, yet systematic observations remain limited so far,” Gerding reported at the 2026 European Geosciences Union, which was held May 3-8 in Vienna.Gerding also showed the first results of IAP’s new three-channel multi-species lidar that’s set up to search for different materials expected to be ablated by reentering space debris. These materials include copper, aluminum oxide, and hydrogen fluoride, which is used as a propellant in some rocket engines.AdvertisementAdvertisement”These materials, which naturally occur only in trace amounts at such altitudes, are influencing the mesosphere and upper stratosphere to an extent not previously documented. This influence is expected to intensify further in the coming years,” explains the IAP website.While natural metal layers form in the upper mesosphere due to meteor ablation, new LiDAR measurements have found that additional mass and elements are being introduced via the reentry of space hardware. This type of pollution has unknown consequences for the upper atmosphere and ozone layer. | Credit: Robin Wing, et al./Communications Earth & EnvironmentTest measurementsAccording to the IAP, with the rising number of satellite launches and space activities — particularly the surge in placing satellite megaconstellations into Earth orbit — the composition of the upper atmosphere is changing.Robin Wing, also an IAP scientist, told Space.com that the new multi-species lidar system is coming along. “We have done test measurements,” Wing said, “and are currently improving some subsystems.”Wing said the upgraded lidar gear includes a survey channel that systematically looks for each spacecraft element, with copper being the first target.Backward trajectories, includ …
