Reentries are now commonplace occurrences. According to ESA, space debris more than three objects enter the Earth’s atmosphere every day, and since oceans cover the majority of the planet, a lot of objects will end up being thrown in the ocean.
How Many Objects Enter the Atmosphere?
For space debris, one tracker counted a total of 1,212 satellites and rocket stages made their way to Earth in 2025. Additionally, astronomer Jonathan McDowell has counted 675 payload reentries up to September 2026, most of which are uncontrolled. There are also about 1.5 reentries related to Starlink every day.
What Happens to Remains?
Satellites are created to burn completely in the atmosphere, however, according to SpaceX, (space debris) one fragment is currently known to have survived this process. In addition, the launch of Falcon 9 in 2025 resulted in a lithium plume appearing in the upper atmosphere, marking the first instance of pollution caused by a reentry in history.
Who Regulations for Reentries?
The US legislation states that there is a risk of 1 in 10,000 for any reentry object, while ESA recommends a higher safety standard of 1 in 100,000 for large constellations. Reentries with objects falling in the ocean face very few restrictions, which is discussed in our document regarding the High Seas Treaty.
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