How the Starlink project could impact the environment and space

SpaceX is increasing the number of satellite launches for its Starlink project. — Photography Aleksandr Kukharskiy/Shutterstock/AFP Relaxnews

Behind Starlink's promise to provide internet access to all – from the most remote places like schools in the Amazon forest to war-torn countries like Ukraine – lies a major problem: the future pollution of space. By sending thousands of satellites into the sky, Elon Musk is at risk of polluting not only space, but also the atmosphere, with his thousands of satellites laden with aluminum.

Launching thousands of satellites into space is not a trivial matter and will inevitably one day have a significant impact on the environment. Indeed, each satellite has a life expectancy of just a few years. At present, they are neither recoverable nor recyclable. At the end of their life, they will either disintegrate by falling back into the atmosphere, or they will float around forever in orbit. Moreover, they will also have to be replaced by new operational satellites.