Plasma Tunnels Show How Satellites Burn Up During Atmospheric Reentry

New research has shed light on the process by which decommissioned satellites fall back to Earth and disintegrate. Scientists have found that dying satellites create plasma tunnels as they reenter the atmosphere at high speeds. These superheated channels of ionized gas play a key role in how the spacecraft breaks apart and burns up. Understanding this process is increasingly important as the number of satellites in low Earth orbit continues to grow, raising concerns about space debris management.