THE POLICY AND SCIENCE OF ROCKET EMISSIONS
April 2018 | The Aerospace Corporation | www.aerospace.org/policy
Combustion emissions from rocket engines affect the global atmosphere.
Historically, these impacts have been seen as small and so have escaped regulatory attention.
Link To Full Report_Rocket Emissions
Geoengineering is controversial, and there is no formal policy regarding its deployment…
“A global ban on “… injection of particles into the stratosphere…”28 could present a problem for space launch, which currently injects approximately 10 gigagrams of BC and alumina particles into the stratosphere each year.”
The critical things coming out of a liquid fuel rocket as it blasts off is:
first H20 (big white cloud from the water cooling system at the launch pad)
CO2
CARBON SOOT
CARBON MONOXIDE which will quickly bond into carbon dioxide.
CHLORINE
OXIDES OF NITROGEN NITROGEN NITROGEN
ALUMINIA
SULFURIC COMPOUNDS
AND
many other TRACE GASES that are “insignificant”.
RED = EPA considers pollutants
GREEN = OZONE depleting substances
BLUE = GREENHOUSE GASES OR RADIATIVE FORCING
types of rocket fuel
RP-1 often mixed with liquid Oxygen- highly refined jet fuel – or kerosene
Methane
Hydrogen
solid rocket fuel
hypergolic fuel
SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS (SRB) are the most polluting in first stage of launch
SRB made from :
Hydrochloric Acid
Ammonium
Perchlorates
Salt of Perchloric Acids
Ammonia
Aluminum or Magnesium Powder
SEE VIDEO AT 11:39 for the booster oxidizers HTPB and PBAN full spelling
Aluminum oxide
Soot
CO2
Hydrogen Chloride
Nitrogen Oxides
Hydrogen
Trace gases
*Thank you to S & JM for contributing information on Rocket Emissions