euro-pravda.org.ua

A scientist assessed the extent of atmospheric pollution caused by the Starship explosion.

The destruction of SpaceX's Starship spacecraft, which resulted in a rain of molten metal debris over the Caribbean Sea in mid-January, may have released a significant amount of harmful pollutants into the upper layers of Earth's atmosphere.
Исследователь проанализировал уровень загрязнения атмосферы, вызванного взрывом Starship.

According to astronomer and space debris expert Jonathan McDowell, the upper stage of the Starship exploded at an altitude of approximately 146 kilometers above the Earth's surface.

Based on data from atmospheric chemistry researcher Connor Barker at University College London, the debris from the Starship could have resulted in the release of 45.5 tons of metal oxides and 40 tons of nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. Nitrogen oxides, in particular, have the potential to damage the ozone layer. This amount is roughly equivalent to one-third of the meteoritic material that burns up in the Earth's atmosphere each year.