SpaceX Triggered a Lithium Plume in the Atmosphere, Study Confirms

A new study of Earth's upper atmosphere has discovered spikes in lithium ion levels following the return of a Falcon 9 rocket upper stage, which broke up on reentry. With SpaceX planning to rapidly increase its number of orbiting satellites by boosting its rocket launch cadence, scientists are warning that rocket debris poses a significant threat to our upper atmosphere.

For a long time, the major concern with space debris has primarily been leaving it in orbit. Orbital debris, otherwise known as "space junk," has the potential to cause collisions between orbiting craft, space stations, or transiting satellites. But deorbiting may not be the answer either, the new study suggests: As rockets and satellites break up on reentry, they deposit harmful materials in the upper atmosphere.

On Feb. 20, a team headed by Robin Wing from Germany's Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics discovered a spike in lithium ions ...