Space tourism could harm efforts to improve ozone, research says
LONDON: Scientists have warned that space tourism by Richard Branson, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos could degrade the restored ozone layer.
New research by scientists examines the effects of a spacecraft’s return to and from Earth’s atmosphere on the atmosphere.
A joint study by University College London, the University of Cambridge and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that the smoke from the spacecraft was damaging the protective layer around the Earth and was 500 times more intense than other sources. ۔
Dr. Elvis Marais, co-author of the research at UCL, said it was a mistake to equate spacecraft emissions with aircraft and ground emissions.
According to Jeff Bezos’ company Blue Origin, the fuel for the BE-3PM engine in his new Shepherd launch vehicle is highly efficient and based on clean liquid oxygen and hydrogen. Therefore, the waste that is emitted from the engine during flight is not carbon but water vapor.
Researchers acknowledge that the current damage to ozone is minor, but suggest that the rules apply to the fast-growing space tourism industry to avoid future problems.
Scientists studying space travel examined data from space travel data, including 103 rocket launches in 2019, including Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin.
In the study, scientists found that in just three years of space travel, the temperature doubled due to smoke in the form of additional emissions.
