Currently, around 11,900 satellites are orbiting Earth, providing essential services such as internet connection, communication capabilities, weather prediction and navigation technology. However, researchers in the United States and United Kingdom now say greenhouse gas emissions might drastically reduce the amount of satellites humanity can

Climate change is altering conditions in near-Earth space, which could limit the number of satellites that can reliably operate.

MIT aerospace engineers have found that greenhouse gas emissions are changing the environment of near-Earth space in ways that, over time, will reduce the number of satellites that can sustainably operate there.

A new study from MIT aerospace engineers reveals that rising carbon dioxide levels are shrinking Earth’s upper atmosphere, leading to long-term consequences for satellites and space debris.The study,

Douglas McIntyre, Editor-in-Chief at Climate Crisis 24/7, reports that climate change is weakening Earth’s atmospheric friction, increasing the risk that falling satellites won’t burn up completely before reaching the surface.

Greenhouse gas emissions are altering not just Earth's climate but also the environment of space. For decades, climate change research has focused on the troposphere, the layer of the atmosphere closest to the planet’s surface.