SpaceX rocket fireball linked to plume of polluting lithium
A SpaceX Falcon 9 crashed to Earth last year. Now scientists have measured the pollution it caused.
Coverage by Political Leaning
See how different sides of the spectrum reported this story
Notable Quotes
"Our largest concern is aluminium and aluminium oxides interacting with the ozone layer."
— Robin Wing , Academic
"I hope that if we start our measurements now, perhaps we can get ahead of the curve and identify any potential problems before they become serious."
— Robin Wing , Academic
"Space regulations don't cover the new problems emerging - interference with astronomical observations, risk of collision in orbit, risk of stuff falling on our heads, and now it is becoming clear, atmospheric pollution."
— Andy Lawrence , Academic
"Our largest concern is aluminium and aluminium oxides interacting with the ozone layer."
— Prof Robin Wing , Academic
"So, a single Falcon 9 rocket has about 30kg, so this is quite a lot more."
— Prof Robin Wing , Academic
"I hope that if we start our measurements now, perhaps we can get ahead of the curve and identify any potential problems before they become serious."
— Prof Robin Wing , Academic
"Space regulations don't cover the new problems emerging - interference with astronomical observations, risk of collision in orbit, risk of stuff falling on our heads, and now it is becoming clear, atmospheric pollution."
— Andy Lawrence , Academic
"We thought that was a good opportunity, so we checked the winds, and as they looked favorable, we started up the LIDAR and made the measurements on the following night."
— Robin Wing , Academic
"Lithium is an excellent tracer for space debris."
— Robin Wing , Academic
"I’m impressed with their measurement… a demonstration that it can be done."
— Daniel Murphy , Academic
"Despite the important role Earth's upper atmosphere plays in shielding terrestrial life, the consequences of increasing pollution from re-entering space debris on radiative transfer, ozone chemistry, and aerosol microphysics remain largely unknown."
— Robin Wing , Academic
Key People
Professor of Astronomy discussing the implications of space debris.
Daniel Murphy is a researcher at NOAA’s Chemical Sciences Laboratory.
Elon Musk is the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla.
A scientist at the University of Leeds involved in atmospheric research.
Prof John Plane is a researcher at the University of Leeds specializing in atmospheric studies.
Prof Robin Wing is a researcher at the Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics in Germany.
A researcher at the Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics in Germany studying atmospheric pollution.
Tags
All Coverage
A SpaceX Falcon 9 crashed to Earth last year. Now scientists have measured the pollution it caused.
Scientists have detected a significant increase in atmospheric lithium following the uncontrolled re-entry of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket over Europe, highlighting potential environmental impacts of space debris.
Researchers have observed a tenfold spike in atmospheric lithium following the re-entry of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, raising concerns about the environmental effects of increasing space debris.
For the first time, scientists have observed in near real time a cloud of air pollution created as space debris burned up in Earth's atmosphere, providing insights into the environmental impact of rocket re-entries.
Researchers have found measurable traces of lithium pollution in the upper atmosphere following the re-entry of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, highlighting environmental concerns associated with space debris.
An international research group has detected a tenfold increase in atmospheric lithium following the re-entry of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, raising concerns about the environmental impact of space debris.
SpaceX has received approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of The Bahamas to resume Falcon 9 rocket landings in Bahamian waters, following a year-long suspension due to a Starship test flight mishap in March 2025 that scattered debris over parts of the country.
In the early hours of February 19, 2025, the upper stage of a Falcon 9 rocket was tumbling back to Earth when it exploded into a fireball that made headlines from the UK to Poland. Scientists used LIDAR technology to detect a sudden spike in lithium concentrations at an altitude of nearly 100 kilometers, confirming the pollution's origin from the re-entering rocket.
A plume of upper-atmospheric lithium pollution observed in February 2025 has been attributed to the re-entry of a specific rocket stage, marking the first known instance of direct detection of upper-atmospheric pollution from space debris re-entry.
A plume of upper-atmospheric lithium pollution observed in February 2025 has been attributed to the re-entry of a specific rocket stage, marking the first known instance of direct detection of upper-atmospheric pollution from space debris re-entry.
Similar Stories
Related coverage based on topic and tags
Asbestos mystery leaves beloved beach closed
With Mount Batten Beach fenced off since July, residents and campaigners are demanding answers.
October 10, 2026 at 06:16 AMChemicals at former fuel depot 'have been removed'
Barrels of forever chemicals left at a development site have been removed, a developer has said.
October 10, 2026 at 06:13 AMTech Now
Shiona McCallum visits Cairngorms National Park to see tech monitor wildfire damage.
October 10, 2026 at 01:00 AMVenezuela president authorizes SpaceX's Starlink to operate in the country - Reuters
Venezuela president authorizes SpaceX's Starlink to operate in the country Reuters
October 10, 2026 at 12:02 AMLawmaker calls for US research funding curbs on more Chinese schools - Reuters
Lawmaker calls for US research funding curbs on more Chinese schools Reuters
October 9, 2026 at 08:05 PM'People don't think recycling at work is part of their job description'
Unclear labelling as well as a lack of recycling facilities at work or in public-facing businesses is an issue.
October 9, 2026 at 07:11 PM