Climate Change Isn’t Just an Earth Problem — It’s a Space Problem Too

Space Problem Too!

As someone deeply passionate about astrophysics, I’ve always been drawn to the stars — to the questions that lie beyond our atmosphere, and the satellites and telescopes that help us explore them. But recently, my curiosity led me to an unexpected intersection of two seemingly separate worlds: climate change and space science.

While researching how human activity might be affecting our ability to explore space, I came across a compelling MIT study that changed the way I think about our planet’s influence beyond Earth. According to the study, rising greenhouse gas emissions are cooling and shrinking the thermosphere — the upper layer of our atmosphere where most satellites orbit (MIT News, 2025).

This cooling reduces atmospheric drag, which might sound beneficial, but it actually makes space more dangerous. Debris that would normally fall back to Earth and burn up now lingers much longer, increasing the risk of collisions and making low Earth orbit more crowded and less sustainable. The study suggests that, depending on emission scenarios, we could lose up to two-thirds of our safe satellite capacity by 2100.

For those of us who believe in science as a tool to expand human understanding, this is a wake-up call. Climate change isn't just threatening ecosystems or coastlines — it’s quietly constraining our ability to reach for the stars.

Our future in space depends on how we care for our planet now.

Published By - Anya Pal

March 14th 2025

*Picture is from Getty Images

Published By - Anya Pal

September 29th 2024