![]() ![]() ![]() They showed that the break-up of large satellites will be the driving factor in the future space environment. One study modelled the break-up of large satellites and rockets moving along these two space highways to investigate how the overall levels of debris would be affected. Just like cars drive along designated roads, satellites move along fixed orbits, the most popular of which are geostationary (~36 000 km altitude) and low-Earth (<1000 km altitude). These studies are important for understanding how to design missions to be as environmentally-friendly as possible, and for ensuring that decision makers consider environmental impacts when deciding whether to proceed with a space project. Another study investigated the benefits of self-pressurised green propellant technology. Spacecraft propellant can also often be dangerous, both because it is often a harmful chemical and because it can cause explosions in space, creating a lot of debris. One study investigated the impact of the launch, an especially emission-heavy part of a space mission, which affects all parts of the atmosphere. Several Discovery & Preparation studies have explored the influence of more specific parts of a space mission on the environment. This is surprisingly difficult, because sometimes minimising environmental impacts at one stage of the life cycle can lead to larger impacts elsewhere. ![]() A later study, aptly named GreenSat, looked into eco-designing a satellite from beginning to end with a maximum reduction of its environmental impact. The methodology investigates the environmental impact of space missions and following this activity, ESA wrote a set of space system life cycle assessment guidelines*. One of the first steps to achieving this was a Discovery & Preparation study that applied an eco-design methodology to space activities. ![]()
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January 2023
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