With hundreds of satellites launched each year and tens of thousands more planned, scientists are increasingly concerned about an emerging problem: emissions from the fuels burned in launches and from the pollutants released when satellites and rocket stages flame out on reentry.
It’s both, it’s launch exhaust and also stage re-entry. The article didn’t talk about EOL deorbiting, was an aside as the stages and other issues are always happening with every launch.
Ah yeah, didn’t mean to minimize the impact of the launch plume, that’s an issue too. But reentry is an entirely different problem with completely different mechanics and the title was confusing about that.
Ah yeah that’s fair, I think it was this time last year that reports about the rocket exhaust plume were leaving particulates. So it’s a very recent finding, compared to de-orbiting re-entry. But as you say, it is its own issue that’s also come to light as well.
But how do we solve EOL de-orbiting, a satellite only has so much reaction mass and propellant, and if you need to reload it, is it better to launch a new one with better tech? Or to refill tanks? And then that has to be incorporated in the design. Yadda yadda.
It’s both, it’s launch exhaust and also stage re-entry. The article didn’t talk about EOL deorbiting, was an aside as the stages and other issues are always happening with every launch.
Ah yeah, didn’t mean to minimize the impact of the launch plume, that’s an issue too. But reentry is an entirely different problem with completely different mechanics and the title was confusing about that.
Ah yeah that’s fair, I think it was this time last year that reports about the rocket exhaust plume were leaving particulates. So it’s a very recent finding, compared to de-orbiting re-entry. But as you say, it is its own issue that’s also come to light as well.
But how do we solve EOL de-orbiting, a satellite only has so much reaction mass and propellant, and if you need to reload it, is it better to launch a new one with better tech? Or to refill tanks? And then that has to be incorporated in the design. Yadda yadda.