The growing release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere could pose a serious threat to the future of space operations, especially in low Earth orbit (LEO). A recent study published in Nature explores the potential consequences of increased emissions on the capacity of LEO to support satellite operations.

The current state of Earth's climate has no recorded precedent. The consequences of the sheer volume of anthropogenic greenhouse emissions on low Earth orbit has not been explored in detail. We know that these gases cause the shrinking of the thermosphere – the layer of atmosphere between altitudes of around 85 and 600 kilometers.

This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Earth’s orbit is filling up with junk. Greenhouse gases are making the problem worse on Mar 10, 2025.