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15_Redstones t1_j9sutzh wrote

Reply to comment by NotAnotherNekopan in What will be the environmental impact of de-orbiting 42,000 Starlink satellites every five years? (Explanation in post) by OvidPerl

Exotic?

The structure of the satellite is mostly aluminum, and the solar panels are mostly silicon. Burning them in reentry forms compounds with oxygen.

Those are the three most common elements on the planet. Aluminum-Silicon-Oxygen compounds make up more than 60% of the Earth's crust. Add water and you basically have common clay.

There isn't a single combination of elements that's less exotic.

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