Is a net-zero space industry truly possible? A legal and engineering perspective
- Paper number
GLOC-2023,T,IP,x75158
- Author
Ms. Alex Marinova, First Steps Legal, United Kingdom
- Coauthor
Mr. Hamed Gamal, Mynaric, Germany
- Year
2023
- Abstract
With just a few years remaining before the 2030 deadline for implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, it’s more important than ever to understand the contribution of the space industry towards climate change and place an actionable plan that ensures a feasible implementation and enables future development. Access to space and in-orbit operations are increasingly important and the number of launches every year rises accordingly. The space industry is often quoted to be the “next big thing” and significant funds are raised every year by established companies and newcomers. With sustainable development being at the forefront of international efforts, more companies and governments are addressing the issue of the industry’s carbon footprint and the looming problem of space debris, along with other issues that relate deeper to the core of some predominant business models. Whilst there are evidently more projects targeting space debris, the carbon emissions from space launch and operations are often in the shadow of buzzwords, pledges and debris removal programmes. With the rising number of commercial launches, public concern has been expressed about the fuel burned by the rockets and how that contributes to the overall carbon footprint of humanity. This paper provides an overview of any existing legal measures that are already put in place or are planned by governments across the world and how they influence the commercial launch and the national and international space missions. Furthermore, these are placed and analysed in light of current carbon emissions from comparable industries and the established practice of trading and exchanging carbon quotas and how that influences policy on international and domestic levels. In order to support any statements regarding the legal and policy perspectives included in this study, an engineering overview of the carbon footprint tailored to the various segments of the industry is also presented. The study looks at current carbon emissions, pledges and their viability and aims to draw a true picture of the contribution of the space industry towards climate change and how the community can step in and improve any existing technology. This paper challenges the number of launched objects to space and their actual use cases from a generic approach to their means of operation and applications. The legal and engineering perspectives then merge to propose actionable items based on real data and policy traditions to ensure the sustainable development of the space industry, shall such development be truly possible.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
GLOC-2023,T,IP,x75158.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.