Expert issues horrifying warning over Elon Musk's billion-dollar company that could have disastrous impact on Earth

Elon Musk remains a divisive figure in the world of technology and beyond, not least because he's far and away the world's richest man and could presumably do a little more to help the planet with his masses of wealth.

Away from complaints about his time heading up the Department of Government Efficiency, a public spat with President Donald Trump, and calls to boycott Netflix, the billionaire does try to give some good back to the world with some of his ventures.

As well as the initial intention behind Tesla being to remove the need for planet-destroying gas cars, he's also trying to search for new places to call home with SpaceX, and is bringing mobility to paralyzed patients with Neuralink.

Keeping with the theme of uniting us, Elon Musk's Starlink is supposed to bring cell and internet signal to all corners of the globe.

No matter whether you're trekking through the jungles of the Amazon, sailing in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, or climbing Mt. Everest, Starlink could give you a signal at all times.

We've already covered alarming statistics that claim up to 700 Starlink satellites could be falling out of Low Earth Orbit every year, but now, there are further concerns that Musk is contributing to Kessler Syndrome.

Are we effectively being trapped in an ozone layer of our own 'space junk'?

The idea that Starlink may not be the communication marvel that it's pitched as has been backed up by Jonathon McDowell, with the revered astrophysicist claiming the satellite network is causing daily damage to the planet.

McDowell is afraid that falling satellites will damage the Earth's fragile stratosphere, and in particular, the all-important ozone layer.

While the United Nations has reported that the hole in the ozone layer is the smallest it's been since it was discovered in 1985, and could completely regenerate by 2045, McDowell thinks an excess of tumbling satellites is in danger of undoing all the environmental good work we've been trying to do.

In particular, the ozone layer is important in helping block out the Sun's harmful rays and shielding us from potential skin cancers. Sitting beneath LEO, the stratosphere ranges from around 14.5 km to about 50 km above the surface of the Earth.

Speaking to The Register, McDowell explained: "If just one percent of Starlink satellites [assuming the planned 30k constellation] die on station, that's still 300 satellites. Three hundred big satellites could tip low Earth orbit into Kessler."

Back in 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration told Musk that Starlink satellites had the potential to seriously injure or even kill someone by 2035, and with 2,000 reportedly going up there in 2025 alone, McDowell seems right to warn us.

We also need to look out for China's satellite plans, with McDowell adding: "The region of space closest to Kessler is the 600 to 1,000 kilometer range. It's full of old Soviet rocket stages and other stuff, and the more we add there, the more likely it is for Kessler syndrome to occur."

Noting that a number of China's satellites will be going above 1,000 km, he said if something goes wrong up there, we're 'screwed': "That higher altitude means the atmosphere won't drag them down for centuries. And I haven't seen [China] demonstrate any retirement plans for those satellites."

As for continued problems with the satellites in general, McDowell concluded that the biggest threat is destroying the atmosphere and cutting ourselves off from space by "using the upper atmosphere as an incinerator." It's unclear what the long-term effects could be, but research is ongoing.