Environmental consequences of rocket launch failures and spaceport pollution
By
Richard Hollingham
Half-baked but well-meaning. A passing snack.
Summary
The article examines the environmental consequences of space launches, particularly when rockets fail. It highlights the destruction caused by SpaceX's Starship launch in April 2023, which destroyed both the rocket and launchpad. It contrasts this with NASA's Cape Canaveral facility, which has become a nature conservation site, and discusses the Soviet-built Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, which caused significant pollution across the surrounding steppe. The piece also mentions the spaceport in French Guiana used by the European Space Agency.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledThe first launch of Starship in April 2023 not only led to the destruction of the rocket, but also of the launchpad
Nasa's launch facility at Cape Canaveral in Florida has become an important site for nature conservation
The Soviet-built cosmodorome in Baikonur in present-day Kazakhstan led to enormous pollution across the surrounding steppe
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