Surge in satellite launches and space tourism thins ozone layer
A tenfold surge in rockets to launch satellites – and at least one joyride bearing Katy Perry and friends – could damage the most successful international environmental treaty in history, the global agreement to repair damage to the ozone layer.
Historically, space flight has had little impact on the Earth's weather and climate systems. But the recent surge in rocket launches – and the huge increase expected in the coming years – is now causing some scientists concern.
The first orbital rocket was launched in 1957. Last year, a record 263 orbital space flights were launched, shattering previous records set in 2023 and 2022. By 2030, over 2000 launches per year could be taking place as Elon Musk's SpaceX seeks to build and maintain a constellation of up to 42,000 communications satellites (each of which has a life expectancy of around five years), nation states continue with their space programs and launch military satellites, and space tourism increases apace.
Chlorine and soot released into the upper atmosphere from the rockets can damage the ozone layer enough to stall the slow repair of the ozone layer, the strata of ozone-rich atmosphere 15 to 30 kilometres above the Earth's surface that serves as a shield against harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
Scientists observed in 1974 that this layer was being depleted by the common use of chlorofluorocarbons in refrigeration and as a propellant for aerosol containers. In 1987, the United Nations Montreal Protocol was signed, phasing out the use of the chemicals, and since then, the ozone layer has slowly started to heal. The agreement has been celebrated as the most successful environmental treaty in history.
But a paper published this month in Nature warns that once rates of orbital launches reach 2000 a year, the current healing of the ozone layer will slow, particularly over Antarctica.
To calculate the potential impact of future launches, scientists built a database of ozone-depleting chemicals emitted by rockets currently in use and fed the information into a model of Earth's atmosphere and climate.
They found that with around 2000 launches per year the ozone layer would thin by up to 3 per cent, with a higher rate of loss over Antarctica.
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Sydney Morning Herald
7 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Surge in satellite launches and space tourism thins ozone layer
A tenfold surge in rockets to launch satellites – and at least one joyride bearing Katy Perry and friends – could damage the most successful international environmental treaty in history, the global agreement to repair damage to the ozone layer. Historically, space flight has had little impact on the Earth's weather and climate systems. But the recent surge in rocket launches – and the huge increase expected in the coming years – is now causing some scientists concern. The first orbital rocket was launched in 1957. Last year, a record 263 orbital space flights were launched, shattering previous records set in 2023 and 2022. By 2030, over 2000 launches per year could be taking place as Elon Musk's SpaceX seeks to build and maintain a constellation of up to 42,000 communications satellites (each of which has a life expectancy of around five years), nation states continue with their space programs and launch military satellites, and space tourism increases apace. Chlorine and soot released into the upper atmosphere from the rockets can damage the ozone layer enough to stall the slow repair of the ozone layer, the strata of ozone-rich atmosphere 15 to 30 kilometres above the Earth's surface that serves as a shield against harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Scientists observed in 1974 that this layer was being depleted by the common use of chlorofluorocarbons in refrigeration and as a propellant for aerosol containers. In 1987, the United Nations Montreal Protocol was signed, phasing out the use of the chemicals, and since then, the ozone layer has slowly started to heal. The agreement has been celebrated as the most successful environmental treaty in history. But a paper published this month in Nature warns that once rates of orbital launches reach 2000 a year, the current healing of the ozone layer will slow, particularly over Antarctica. To calculate the potential impact of future launches, scientists built a database of ozone-depleting chemicals emitted by rockets currently in use and fed the information into a model of Earth's atmosphere and climate. They found that with around 2000 launches per year the ozone layer would thin by up to 3 per cent, with a higher rate of loss over Antarctica.
The Age
7 hours ago
- The Age
Surge in satellite launches and space tourism thins ozone layer
A tenfold surge in rockets to launch satellites – and at least one joyride bearing Katy Perry and friends – could damage the most successful international environmental treaty in history, the global agreement to repair damage to the ozone layer. Historically, space flight has had little impact on the Earth's weather and climate systems. But the recent surge in rocket launches – and the huge increase expected in the coming years – is now causing some scientists concern. The first orbital rocket was launched in 1957. Last year, a record 263 orbital space flights were launched, shattering previous records set in 2023 and 2022. By 2030, over 2000 launches per year could be taking place as Elon Musk's SpaceX seeks to build and maintain a constellation of up to 42,000 communications satellites (each of which has a life expectancy of around five years), nation states continue with their space programs and launch military satellites, and space tourism increases apace. Chlorine and soot released into the upper atmosphere from the rockets can damage the ozone layer enough to stall the slow repair of the ozone layer, the strata of ozone-rich atmosphere 15 to 30 kilometres above the Earth's surface that serves as a shield against harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Scientists observed in 1974 that this layer was being depleted by the common use of chlorofluorocarbons in refrigeration and as a propellant for aerosol containers. In 1987, the United Nations Montreal Protocol was signed, phasing out the use of the chemicals, and since then, the ozone layer has slowly started to heal. The agreement has been celebrated as the most successful environmental treaty in history. But a paper published this month in Nature warns that once rates of orbital launches reach 2000 a year, the current healing of the ozone layer will slow, particularly over Antarctica. To calculate the potential impact of future launches, scientists built a database of ozone-depleting chemicals emitted by rockets currently in use and fed the information into a model of Earth's atmosphere and climate. They found that with around 2000 launches per year the ozone layer would thin by up to 3 per cent, with a higher rate of loss over Antarctica.
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