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Letter: Here's one solution for satellite pollution

Published 12 November 2025

From Jim McHardy, Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, UK

To reduce the problem of old satellites releasing pollution when they burn up in the atmosphere, it should be internationally mandated that every satellite keeps enough reserve fuel to move it into a designated “capture orbit”. Small rocket drones could refuel still functioning satellites if needed using universal connectors or collect them for delivery to a large cargo rocket ready for return to Earth. Having separate spaces on this rocket for different countries and companies would provide security (25 October, p 32).

Issue no. 3569 published 15 November 2025

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