Elon Musk's Starlink satellites could burn up Earth's ozone layer, new study says

The ozone layer that protects the Earth from harmful ultraviolet rays is being damaged by Elon Musk's Starlink satellites. This claim has been made in a research published in Geophysical Research Letters by researchers from the University of Southern California.

There are currently 8,000 satellites orbiting low Earth, and 6,000 are Starlink. After their life span of about 5 years, these satellites die in the space environment.

As a result, these satellites release large amounts of aluminum oxide gas, which could be responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer, said a researcher at the University of Southern California.

A small satellite produces about 30 kilograms of aluminum oxide when burned. According to the researcher, in 2022, the satellites produced 17 tonnes of aluminum oxide.

Global internet demand is growing and this will increase the number of satellite launches into space. To meet the internet demand, Elon Musk's SpaceX spaceflight company has planned to launch satellites into space in collaboration with tech giant Amazon and the number of launches has exceeded 12,000.

Scientists have estimated that all these launches will release 350 tons of aluminum oxide every year. This has made scientists concerned about the impact it will have on the environment.