Implications of a Growing Spaceflight Industry: Climate Change

The global impacts of the spaceflight industry have historically been viewed as limited in scope, without significant change, and therefore not requiring regulatory attention. As a result, little scientific attention has been paid to the impacts of rocket launches and space debris reentries on global climate and stratospheric ozone.

The space industry has recently seen revolutionary change and growth with development of heavy lift rockets, deployment of large satellite constellations, and the introduction of new space-based services and rocket propellants. As the profile of the modern space industry rapidly increases, so too will the public interest in understanding how spaceflight affects the atmosphere and the role it plays in the broader scope of global greenhouse gas emissions and climate change mitigation.