Climate Damage Caused by Space Tourism Development Urgent Mitigation – Is It Growing Because of It?

news7g06/26/2022

2 4 minutes read

Climate Damage Caused by Space Tourism Development Urgent Mitigation - Is It Growing Because of It?

UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

Published today in the magazine The Future of the EarthResearchers from UCL, University of Cambridge and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) used 3D modeling to explore the impact of rocket launches and re-entry in 2019, as well as the impact of scenarios The planned space tourism is based on the recent billionaire space race.

The team found that the black carbon particles (soot) emitted by the rocket were nearly 500 times more efficient at trapping heat in the atmosphere than all other sources of soot combined (surface and engine). fly) – resulting in enhanced climate effects.

Furthermore, while the study reveals that the current total ozone loss due to rockets is small, the current growth trends around space tourism suggest a potential future decline in the upper layer of the ozone layer. Arctic basin in spring. This is because pollutants from solid fuel rockets and the heating of returning spacecraft and debris are particularly harmful to stratospheric ozone.

Study co-author Dr Eloise Marais (UCL College of Geography) said: “Rocket launches are often compared to greenhouse gases and air-polluting emissions from the aircraft industry, which we proved in our research to be wrong.

“Soot particles from rocket launches have a much larger climate effect than airplanes and other sources on Earth, so it doesn’t take as many rocket launches as international flights to have the same impact.” on one’s own. What we really need now is a discussion among experts on the best strategy to regulate this rapidly growing industry. “

To calculate the study results, the researchers collected information on chemicals from all 103 rocket launches in 2019 from around the world, as well as data on re-entry of the name. Fire and space junk can be reused. They also used recent demonstrations by space tourism entrepreneurs Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin and SpaceX and recommended annual Virgin Galactic launches of at least daily to build a scenario for a tourism industry. future formidable universe.

These data are then fed into a 3D atmospheric chemistry model to explore the impact on climate and the ozone layer.

The team shows that soot-induced warming of 3.9 mW m-2 from a decade of contemporary rockets, is dominated by emissions from kerosene-powered rockets. However, this more than doubled (7.9 mW m-2) after just three years of additional emissions from space tourism launches, due to SpaceX’s use of kerosene and neoprene fuel. Virgin Galactic’s hybrid.

This is particularly concerning, the researchers say, because when soot particles are injected directly into the upper atmosphere, they have a much larger climate effect than other soot sources – with soot particles that retain heat 500 times more effectively.

The team found that, under a daily or weekly space tourism rocket launch scenario, the impact on the stratospheric ozone layer risks undermining the recovery after successful implementation of the Protocol. Montreal.

Adopted in 1987, the Montreal Protocol for a global ban on ozone-depleting substances is considered one of the most successful international environmental policy interventions.

Study co-author Dr Robert Ryan said: “The only part of the atmosphere that showed a strong recovery of the ozone layer after the Montreal Protocol was the upper stratosphere, and that’s exactly where the impact came from. of rocket emissions will be hardest hit. We do not expect to see changes in the ozone layer of this magnitude, threatening progress on ozone recovery.

“There is still a lot we need to learn about the effects of rocket launches and emissions re-entry into the atmosphere – specifically the future size of the industry and the types and byproducts of fuels. as new as liquid methane and bio. – specified fuel.

“This study allows us to enter a new era of space tourism with an open mind to the potential impacts. The conversation about regulating the environmental impact of the space launch industry needs to start now so we can mitigate harm to the climate and stratospheric ozone.”

The DOI for this article will be 10.1029 / 2021EF002612

About UCL – London’s Global University

UCL is a diverse global community of world-class scholars, students, industry links, external partners and alumni. Our strong team of individuals and organizations work together to explore new possibilities.

Since 1826, we have championed independent thought by attracting and nurturing the best minds in the world. Our community of more than 43,800 students from 150 countries and over 14,300 employees pursues academic excellence, breaks boundaries, and makes a positive impact on real-world issues.

We are consistently ranked among the top 10 universities in the world and are one of the few institutions rated as having the strongest academic reputation and broadest research impact.

We take a progressive and integrated approach to our teaching and research – fostering innovation, creativity and interdisciplinary work. We teach our students to think, not think, and see them as partners, collaborators and contributors.

For nearly 200 years, we’ve proudly opened higher education to students from diverse backgrounds and changed the way we create and share knowledge.

We were the first in the UK to welcome women into university and our courageous attitude and out-of-the-ordinary spirit persists to this day. We are UCL.

www.ucl.ac.uk | Follow @uclnews on Twitter | Read news at www.ucl.ac.uk/news/ | Listen to the UCL podcast on SoundCloud | Find out what’s happening at UCL Minds

Links to online profiles and social media accounts:

Eloise Marais UCL Profile: https://www.geog.ucl.ac.uk/people/academic-staff/academic-staff/eloise-marais

Marais Research Laboratory: https://maraisresearchgroup.co.uk/people.html

Rob Ryan UCL Profile: https://www.geog.ucl.ac.uk/people/research-staff/robert-ryan

Rob Ryan handles Twitter: @rsquared_aus

UCL Geography Twitter handle: @UCLgeography