ESA’s 2022 Clean Space Industry Days

The study was completed for ESA in collaboration with University of Exeter and Imperial College London and demonstrated the significant effect that black carbon emissions at high altitude have on the overall Life Cycle emissions generated by launch vehicles. The key to reducing the environmental impact of launch vehicles was found to be the use of propellants generating the lowest black carbon emissions, without sacrificing vehicle performance or other life cycle considerations such as propellant sourcing. As well as delivering new data, the study also reinforced Orbex's choice of low carbon fuel as the current best option when creating an environmentally sustainable launch system.