Scientists Urge Global Action on Space Launch Air Pollution

Scientists Urge Global Action on Space Launch Air Pollution
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According to a report by The Guardian, scientists are calling for a new international framework to address the growing issue of air pollution caused by the space industry. The demand comes amid a significant increase in rocket launches, particularly those for satellite mega-constellations.

A team from University College London (UCL), led by Professor Eloise Marais, has been tracking space activity and found that in 2024, there were 259 rocket launches, which burned over 153,000 tonnes of fuel. The study highlights that pollutants like soot and carbon dioxide released into the upper atmosphere have a much greater climate warming impact than emissions at ground level.

The article also warns that future mega-constellations, such as Amazon Kuiper, plan to use solid rocket fuel, which produces chlorine compounds that can damage the ozone layer, potentially reversing the progress made by the Montreal Protocol. The number of objects launched into orbit has increased dramatically, from a few hundred per year in the 1960s to thousands annually today.