Cross posted from https://thelemmy.club/post/51693681
Satellite launches have increased exponentially since 2020, and now space debris is increasing at a similar unbelievable rate, making the hypothetical Keppler Effect (also Kepler Syndrome) a very real possibility in the near future. As this material eventually deorbits and rains down into the planet, it vaporizes into metallic oxides like Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3) and toxic compounds, which poison the air and also degrade Ozone (O3), the delicate oxygen layer in the stratosphere which provides life from harmful UV radiation. Geophysicist Stefan Burns reports on the situation…
The Kessler effect or Kessler syndrome is a kind of chain reaction of colliding satellites and their debris. These objects have a speed of about 7.8 kilometers per second, or 28,000 km/h, traveling in different directions, Each piece of debris increases the likelihood of a collision. And each collision causes usually tens of thousands of new pieces of debris in orbit. With more satellites being introduced, this feedback loop leads to a sharp exponential increase in the number of collisions.
Ulrimately it leads to space pollution that can make certain orbits unusable, and space travel much more risky. The time this condition would remain depends on the height of the orbit - very low orbits lead to debris cleared out by friction with the atmosphere, but require a constant relaunch of lost satellites, which also causes atmospheric pollution.
