Study shows how rocket launches pollute the atmosphere
Source: Ars Technica
Rocket Exhaust and Ozone Depletion
Atmospheric scientist Laura Revell (University of Canterbury, New Zealand) presented research showing that rocket exhaust can erase some of the hard‑won gains in mitigating ozone depletion.
Growth Scenario and Ozone Loss
In a high‑growth scenario for the space industry—potentially up to 2,000 launches per year—her modeling indicates a possible ~3 % ozone loss, comparable to the atmospheric impact of a severe Australian wildfire season. The majority of the damage stems from chlorine‑rich solid rocket fuels and black carbon in the plumes.
Black Carbon Effects
- Black carbon can warm parts of the stratosphere by about 0.5 °C as it absorbs sunlight.
- This warming heats surrounding air and can shift winds that steer storms and precipitation patterns.
“This is probably not a fuel type that we want to start using in massive quantities in the future,” Revell added.
Re‑entries and Metal Injection
Researchers at the conference estimated that, over the past five years, the mass of human‑made material injected into the upper atmosphere by re‑entries has doubled to nearly a kiloton per year. For certain metals such as lithium, the injected amount already exceeds that contributed by disintegrating meteors.
Space Sustainability Science
In the emerging field of space sustainability science, scholars argue that orbital space and near‑space should be treated as part of the global environment. A 2022 journal article co‑authored by Moriba Jah (University of Texas at Austin) discusses the increasing impacts of human activities on the upper atmosphere:
“The expanding commercial use of what appears to be a free resource is actually shifting its real costs onto others.”
Expert Commentary
At last year’s European Geosciences Union conference, Leonard Schulz (Technical University Braunschweig, Germany) warned:
“If you put large amounts of catalytic metals in the atmosphere, I immediately think about geoengineering.”
He added that there may not be time to wait for further scientific certainty:
“In 10 years, it might be too late to do anything about it.”
Learn more about Leonard Schulz