Will the development of the space travel industry change the climate?How does it affect us

In the era when the space commercial competition entered the fast lane, please do not ignore the impact it may bring on our environment!

Each customer takes a rocket 100 times more carbon dioxide more than the aircraft -Imagine the situation of the entire industry.

On December 7, 2009, Mohawa Aerospace Port, California, Sir Richard Boransen said in an interview with AFP before the AFC No. 2 in Virgin Galaxy. The world's first commercial manned spacecraft.

The founder of Virgin Group Richard Branson is in charge of Virgin Galaxy. (Source: Getty/Robyn Beck)

The business competition that sent passengers into space is gradually heating up between the founder of Virgin Group and former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. On July 11th, Branson rose by 80km by VSS Unity A space aircraft he drove himself and successfully reached the edge of the space. Bezos took off on July 20 with the Blue Origin Rockets that navigated navigation. This day happened to be the anniversary of Apollo 11's 11th month.

Although Bezos was lifted away from Brandon, he successfully reached a higher height (about 120km). This launch proves that he has the ability to provide a service for the super rich: truly send passengers into outer space. There are two types of travel packages he provided, and these two packages will provide passengers with a ten -minute zero -gravity activity time and opportunities to see the earth from outer space. Elon Musk's SpaceX company is also unwilling to show weakness, saying that it will provide passengers with a 4 to 5-day rail travel service in the later 2021.

What impact can the rise of space tourism have on the environment? In this regard, Bosos boasted his blue origin rocket more environmentally friendly than Brynon's VSS Unity. Blue Engine 3 (BE-3) uses liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen pushing agent to send Bezos, his younger brother and two other passengers to space. VSS Unity uses a mixed pushing agent, which is composed of solid carbon -based fuel, end hydroxide polyteadne (HTPB), liquid oxidant, and nitrogen (commonly known as laughter).

The combustion of these pushing agents can provide the energy required for the rocket to rise to space, but at the same time, a large amount of greenhouse gases and air pollutants can also be produced. The combustion of the BE-3 pushing agent will generate a large amount of water steam, while the combustion of VSS Unity and Falcon rocket fuel will produce carbon dioxide, smoke and some water steam. The nitrogen -based oxide used by VSS Unity also produces nitrogen oxides, which will further produce air pollutants closer to the earth.

The exhaust gas of about 2/3 of the pushing agent will be released to the flat stratum (12 kilometers-50 kilometers) and the middle layer (50 km-85 kilometers) and continue to exist for at least two to three years. In addition, when the rocket is launched and returned to the atmosphere, the ultra -high temperature will also transform the stable nitrogen oxide in the air in the air.

The exhaust gas and particles produced by these rockets will have many negative effects on the atmosphere. In the flat flow layer, nitrogen oxides and chemicals formed by the decomposition of water vapor in the atmosphere due to high temperature will convert ozone into oxygen, which will make the ozone layer from protecting the lives on the earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation. A large amount of water steam generated during the launch process will also form a flat flow cloud in the air, which accelerates the rate of the above reaction.

Space travel and climate change

The discharged carbon dioxide and smoke absorb heat in the atmosphere, causing global warming. Due to the discharged water steam formation clouds reflect the sunlight into the space, the cooling effect of the atmosphere is enhanced. And reduced ozone layers will absorb less sunlight, and this will weaken the heating effect of the flat stratum.

It is clear that the overall impact of the rocket launch on the atmosphere requires detailed physical models to study the time for these complex processes and output pollutants in high -level atmosphere. And can also help understand how the space tourism industry will develop in the future.

Virgin Galaxy estimates that it will be able to provide a few capable people with capable people with 400 spaces per year. Blue Origin and SpaceX have not yet announced their plans. However, globally, the rocket launch does not need to be increased on the basis of about 100 times a year, and it can produce it with other sources (such as ozone (CFCS) and carbon dioxide produced by aircraft). influences.

On June 17, 2021, the GPS III SV05 satellite launched by the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to the US Air Force was launched from the 40th aerospace launch site of the 40th Air Force Base in Karanvilal, Florida.

(Picture source: spacex)

During the launch, the nitrogen oxides discharged by the rocket were four to ten times higher than the DRAX discharge of DRAX, the largest armal power plant in the UK during the same period. In space flight, carbon dioxide emitted by about four tourists traveling in space will be fifty to 100 times more than one to three tons of each passenger in long -distance flight.

In order to enable international regulatory agencies to keep up with the pace of the development of this emerging industry and properly control the pollution caused by rocket launch, scientists need to better understand how these billionaire astronauts will have on what impact on our atmosphere. Essence

By: Eloise Maraisfy: Good Night Never Good

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