Greenhouse gas emissions could reduce drag in the upper atmosphere, leaving more space debris in orbit and making satellites more vulnerable to damage, according to new research

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.