Scientists Warn Space Launches Triple Atmospheric Pollution

Scientists from University College London, led by Professor Eloise Marais, have raised urgent concerns about the rapidly increasing air pollution caused by the space industry, highlighting that 259 rocket launches occurred in 2024 and 223 in 2023, burning over 153,000 tonnes of fuel. The study shows that emissions from mega-constellation satellite launches, such as SpaceX's Starlink, OneWeb, and Thousand Sails, have caused a threefold increase in climate-altering soot and carbon dioxide, with pollutants lingering much longer in the upper atmosphere, resulting in a climate warming effect up to 500 times greater than comparable soot emissions from aviation or ground sources. They warn that the growing demand for mega-constellation launches has led to propellant use surpassing all other space missions combined, with new pollutants introduced by upcoming launches like Amazon Kuiper's planned use of solid rocket fuel producing ozone-damaging compounds. The researchers emphasize that current international space laws are outdated and call for a comprehensive global regulatory framework to mitigate the environmental impact, similar to those governing aviation and maritime sectors. Dr. Connor Barker from UCL warned that the proliferation of mega-constellations in the coming decades could significantly impact climate and potentially reverse progress made by the Montreal Protocol in protecting the ozone layer. This unprecedented increase in space activity marks a critical moment for environmental regulation to address the uncharted pollution risks posed by the expanding space industry.