A team of scientists and sustainability experts is calling on space organizations worldwide to transition to a more sustainable space ecosystem. According to their report in Chem Circularity, they want to see these firms and nations develop a more circular economy in which waste materials are reused or recycled, making it more sustainable and less harmful to the environment, both on Earth and in orbit around it.
“As space activity accelerates, from mega-constellations of satellites to future lunar and Mars missions, we must make sure exploration doesn’t repeat the mistakes made on Earth,” said senior author and chemical engineer Jin Xuan of the University of Surrey (via Phys.org). “A truly sustainable space future starts with technologies, materials, and systems working together.”
The scientists highlight that when most rockets are launched, hundreds of tons of material are lost, including rare-earth minerals, toxic chemicals, and a variety of expensive components that must be built from scratch. Sometimes these materials pollute the atmosphere, the oceans, or even people’s backyards. But they also pollute near-Earth space, making future launches more dangerous. Meanwhile, the chance of surprise impacts affecting missions is ever-increasing.
Credit: Yang et al., iScience
In the report, the scientists claim that such practices are unsustainable and, amid the acceleration of launch cadence in what appears to be an emerging space race to the Moon and beyond, they are calling for a rapid shift in the approach to the space economy. Rockets, spacecraft, and anything associated with the entire industry, they say, should be built with reusability and repairability in mind.
The report suggests that space agencies move towards fewer launches with fewer disposable components, space stations that can be reused as refueling hubs once they’ve outlived their usefulness, and the development of soft landing systems so more spacecraft can be recovered safely. They also want to see a serious effort made to recover space debris to prevent a runaway Kessler syndrome situation.
“We need innovation at every level, from materials that can be reused or recycled in orbit and modular spacecraft that can be upgraded instead of discarded, to data systems that track how hardware ages in space,” Xuan said.
“But just as importantly, we need international collaboration and policy frameworks to encourage reuse and recovery beyond Earth. The next phase is about connecting chemistry, design, and governance to turn sustainability into the default model for space.”