# Space Launches Contribute to Air Pollution: New Inventory Reveals! 🌍

**URL:** <https://onehack.st/t/space-launches-contribute-to-air-pollution-new-inventory-reveals/294935>\
**Category:** News & Articles\
**Tags:** news\
**Created:** [November 2, 2024, 4:16pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/space-launches-contribute-to-air-pollution-new-inventory-reveals/294935 "2024-11-02T16:16:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TheJoker](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/thejoker/32/22660_2.png) [@TheJoker](https://onehack.st/u/TheJoker)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2024, 4:16pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/space-launches-contribute-to-air-pollution-new-inventory-reveals/294935/1 "2024-11-02T16:16:24Z")

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**Summary:**

1. **Global Inventory Created**  
A new report catalogs air pollution from **space activities** between **2020 and 2022** , analyzing emissions from **446 rocket launches** and re-entries.

2. **Pollution Metrics**  
The study documents **63,000 tons** of rocket propellants used in 2022 and about **12,000 tons** emitted from **3,622 objects** re-entering the atmosphere from **2020 to 2023**.

3. **Types of Pollutants**  
Launch emissions include **soot** , **aluminum oxides** , **nitrogen oxides** , and **chlorine** , with soot at high altitudes having a climate impact up to **500 times** greater than aviation sources.

4. **Long-Term Effects**  
Particles such as aluminum oxide and nitrogen oxides can harm the ozone layer, which protects against harmful ultraviolet radiation, persisting in the atmosphere for decades.

5. **Data Collection Challenges**  
Dr. **Connor Barker** noted the difficulty in gathering this information due to its tight control by rocket manufacturers and agencies, requiring innovative research methods.

**Read more at:** [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/nov/01/pollutionwatch-air-pollution-inventory-space-launches-reentries)