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Megaconstellations like SpaceX's could weaken Earth's magnetic field, atmosphere
A theoretical new paper argues that atmospheric metal pollution from falling space junk could create an invisible conductive shield around our planet that might weaken our magnetosphere. However, other experts are skeptical of this idea.
(Image credit: Shutterstock)If all these proposed satellites go up in flames, the resulting spacecraft dust could create a "perfect conductive net around our planet" that could be capable of carrying an electric charge, Solter-Hunt said. "This work is a really important first step" and highlights the "terrifying" amount of spacecraft dust that could be deposited in the atmosphere, Samantha Lawler, an astronomer at the University of Regina in Canada, told Live Science in an email. "Even at the densities [of spacecraft dust] discussed, a continuous conductive shell like a true magnetic shield is unlikely," John Tarduno, a planetary scientist and magnetosphere expert at the University of Rochester in New York, told Live Science in an email.
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