The European Space Sciences Committee co-leads landmark whitepaper on the environmental consequences of the global space boom 

Strasbourg, June 2026 – The rapid expansion of commercial and governmental space activities is leaving a measurable chemical signature in Earth’s stratosphere through emissions from rocket launches and satellite re-entries.  The scientific community is calling for urgent, coordinated action to understand and assess the potential impact on the atmosphere.

This is the central finding of a major whitepaper released today by a team of approximately 50 leading scientists from Europe and the United States, with the European Space Sciences Committee (ESSC) playing a central role in its development. The report represents the most comprehensive scientific assessment to date of the atmospheric and environmental impacts of rocket launches and satellite re-entries. 

An Unprecedented Rate of Growth 

The scale of change in recent years is significant. Fewer than 300 satellites were launched annually before 2015. By 2025, that number had risen to more than 2,800 per year, and projections indicate continued growth. Every object placed in orbit will eventually re-enter the atmosphere, where most will burn up during descent, releasing gases and particles into the upper atmosphere. Rocket launches also release chemicals and particles on ascent. The cumulative atmospheric effect of this activity is only now becoming measurable. 

Metallic particles originating from spacecraft launches and re-entries have already been detected in the stratosphere. Current scientific evidence indicates that spaceflight has become the dominant stratospheric source of several metals, including aluminium, copper, and lead. Recent modelling studies suggest these particles may be affecting both the ozone layer and Earth’s climate, although the extent and nature of these impacts are uncertain. 

The Urgent Need for Action 

The whitepaper identifies critical gaps in current scientific knowledge and sets out concrete recommendations for the research community, space industry, and policymakers. Its core position is clear: robust observational data, laboratory analysis, and atmospheric modelling must be developed now, before the environmental footprint of spaceflight outpaces the science needed to evaluate it.

“It is a substantial and timely piece of work, and it makes a strong case which might be relevant for the future of space exploitation,” said Roberto Battiston, Chair of the European Space Sciences Committee. “I particularly welcome the emphasis on obtaining robust observational and laboratory data and modelling, before moving towards policy or mitigation conclusions. This is the way science proceeds, anticipating the future by understanding the data available today.”

ESSC’s Role 

The ESSC has been instrumental in driving the international scientific response to this emerging challenge. Several ESSC members were central to the establishment and scientific direction of the Atmospheric Impact of Re-entry and Launch (AIRL) Working Group, founded in late 2023 to review the evolving scientific knowledge, and to foster and coordinate research efforts across Europe and the United States. The ESSC regards this whitepaper, which also draws on contributions from participants in the ESA Workshop on Atmospheric Impacts of Spacecraft Launch and Re-entry and the wider scientific community, as a direct expression of its mission to provide independent, forward-looking scientific leadership on issues of critical importance to Europe and the world. 

As space activities continue to expand, the whitepaper calls for coordinated international action to ensure that the environmental consequences of increasing launches and re-entries are properly characterised and, if needed, mitigated. The ESSC is committed to sustaining this scientific effort and to ensuring that evidence-based guidance reaches those with the responsibility to act. 

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The whitepaper can be downloaded directly from https://zenodo.org/records/20831147  

Media inquiries should be directed to essc@esf.org. Scientific and all other enquiries should be directed to AIRL@esf.org .  

European Space Sciences Committee | LinkedIn: ESSC | Website: essc.esf.org

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