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.

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.

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.

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.