Atmospheric entry by spacecrafts have reached 3 % of all atmospheric entries by 2024, but are projected to increase to 40 %.<ref name="h473">{{cite | title=Burned-up satellites are polluting the atmosphere | publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | date=23 July 2024 | doi=10.1126/science.zub5l4y | page=}}</ref> The impact of spacecrafts burning up in the atmosphere during artificial atmospheric entry is different to meteors due to the spacecrafts' generally larger size and different composition. The atmospheric pollutants produced by artificial atmospheric burning-up have been traced in the atmosphere and identified as reacting and possibly negatively impacting the composition of the atmosphere and particularly the [[ozone layer]].<ref name="h473"/>
Considering [[space sustainability]] in regard to atmospheric impact of re-entry is stillby 2022 just developing<ref name="b448">{{cite journal | last=Miraux | first=Loïs | last2=Wilson | first2=Andrew Ross | last3=Dominguez Calabuig | first3=Guillermo J. Current| title=Environmental sustainability of future proposed space activities | journal=Acta Astronautica | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=200 | year=2022 | issn=0094-5765 | doi=10.1016/j.actaastro.2022.07.034 | doi-access=free | pages=329–346}}</ref> and has been identified in 2024 as suffering from "atmosphere-blindness", causing global environmental injustice.<ref name="p583">{{cite journal | last=Flamm | first=Patrick | last2=Lambach | first2=Daniel | last3=Schaefer-Rolffs | first3=Urs | last4=Stolle | first4=Claudia | last5=Braun | first5=Vitali | title=Space sustainability through atmosphere pollution? De-orbiting, atmosphere-blindness and planetary environmental injustice | journal=The Anthropocene Review | publisher=SAGE Publications | date=6 June 2024 | issn=2053-0196 | doi=10.1177/20530196241255088 | doi-access=free | page=}}</ref> This is identified as a result of the current end-of life spacecraft management, which favors the [[station keeping]] practice of controlled re-entry.<ref or moving them into [[graveyard orbit]]s.name="p583"/> This is mainly done to prevent the dangers from uncontrolled atmospheric entries and [[space debris]].<ref name="p583"/>
