Global warming has extended the life of space debris

Due to the decrease of the density of the upper atmosphere caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, various objects orbiting the planet, will stay longer in their orbits. This conclusion was made by scientists from the University of Southampton.A new study is not yet published in peer-reviewed journals.

Increase in the Earth's atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases leads to an increase in temperatures on the Earth's surface, but at the same time helps cool the uppermost layers of the atmosphere, in particular the thermosphere. This layer begins at an altitude of 80-90 km and extends to an altitude of about 800 kilometers. It is in the thermosphere are satellites and spacecraft debris - Space debris.

Lowering the temperature of the thermosphere leads to a decrease in its density - the earlier studies have shown that the density of the thermosphere is now the minimum for the last 43 years. Scientists estimate that in such a rarefied environment stay orbiting the Earth objects will increase an average of 25 percent. How to calculate the researchers, to the number of potentially dangerous for existing satellites and other spacecraft facilities declined, experts have to double the number of objects that are removed from the orbit of each year.