Climate change isn’t just affecting Earth, it’s reshaping space as well. A new MIT study reveals that rising greenhouse gas emissions are shrinking the thermosphere, reducing atmospheric drag and allowing space debris to linger longer,

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.

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

A new study warns that climate change, already posing significant challenges on Earth, could soon worsen the problem of debris in low Earth orbit, potentially reducing available space for satellites.

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

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.