All ready for space

After the success of Besoz’s Blue Origin and Brenson’s Virgin Galactic, the era of space tourism officially opens. Life Gate wonders if this is simply a polluting whim for a few or a futuristic vision of the next space explorers. It is the dream of many but the trips of multi billionaires, make it seem closer to reality.

However, the environmental impact of this type of flights should not be underestimated, starting from the data according to which civil aviation alone is responsible for about 2.5% of CO2 emissions globally. The pollution produced by space travel depends on the propellant used, but it is not a consequence to be underestimated. For example, if Branson’s supersonic plane runs on a combination of nitrous oxide and polybutadiene with terminal hydroxyl radicals, the Bezos rocket requires a combination of liquid oxygen and hydrogen. The first emits CO2, smoke and water vapor, as well as nitrogen oxides, while the second one produces large quantities of water vapor.

About 100 space launches are attempted a year. Virgin plans 400 flights a year with prices ranging from 200,000 to 250,000 dollars. A new era opens, initially destined for a few billionaires.

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