https://www.space.com/air-pollution-reentering-space-junk-detected https://www.space.com/air-pollution-reentering-space-junk-de... immediately made me think of

https://www.space.com/air-pollution-reentering-space-junk-detected https://www.space.com/air-pollution-reentering-space-junk-de... immediately made me think of where all burn up space ‘junk’ goes. > Sensitive sensors in the nosecones of the planes analyzed the chemical compounds diluted in the thin, pristine stratospheric air, which is out of reach of Earth-based air pollution sources. The researchers found traces of lithium, aluminum, copper and lead in the sampled air. The detected concentrations of these compounds were much higher than what could be caused by natural sources, such as the evaporation of cosmic dust and meteorites upon their encounter with the atmosphere. In fact, the concentrations of these pollutants reflected the ratio of chemical compounds present in alloys used in satellite manufacturing, the researchers said in a statement.