Humans have launched so much to space that it's actually polluting Earth's atmosphere, a new study found

• Scientists have discovered evidence of various pollutant metals in Earth's stratosphere.
• They traced the metals back to rockets and satellites launched into space.
• The stratosphere contains the protective ozone layer. It's unclear how these metals could affect it.

Earth's atmosphere is changing — potentially for the worse.

A team of researchers has found pollutant metals in Earth's stratosphere — the second layer of our atmosphere — and traced them back to rockets and satellites.