10^th of March 2026, 16.30 - 17.15 CET
Online

The space sector is entering a new era; the so-called New Space age. Besides high launch numbers and rapid commercialisation this era is marked by the increasing issue of space debris orbiting Earth. The most prominent solution to avoid further input of unwanted artificial objects into Earth’s orbit is to dispose of satellites via atmospheric re-entry at their end-of-life. In order to mitigate ground casulties and damage to human infrastructure, current Space Safety efforts ensure structural disintegration during these re-entries via the design for demise (D4D) approach.

However, the environmental impact of destructive re-entries, especially the consequent material emissions into high atmospheric layers is not yet sufficiently understood. First research has already proven possible damage to the ozone layer and ecosystems, as well as negative implications for climate change, human toxicity, and other areas. 

In our webinar Dennis Michael Jöckel will give a broad introduction to the topics of space debris and space sustainability and report on his research of simulating atmospheric re-entries to characterise high-altitude emissions.

The webinar will be held in English.

Symbolic picture of re-entry research; Source: Dennis Jöckel