The Privatization of the Space Industry: Through An Environmental Lens
The launch of rockets into space, which have brought us great technologies, have adverse effects on our planet’s atmosphere and temperature. Unfortunately, the privatization of the space industry looks like it may create more harm than good for Earth, leaving both the people and space in the palms of billionaires who may not have our best interests at heart.
In the 21st century, the private sector has become increasingly interested in a new frontier: Space.
The Privatization of the Space Industry
In stark contrast to the Cold War, our modern-day game of space exploration has seen a few new players added to the mix. We have noticed the growth of companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, which have taken control of the American space industry while being heavily backed and subsidized by NASA. The main claim that SpaceX went to market with was a stout promise of reducing the monetary waste that comes with space travel. This is the main talking point when considering the benefits of privatizing the industry. However, there are several issues associated with the privatization of space, with one major concern being the lack of adequate regulations for these private companies. This regulatory gap often fails to account for the novel, idealistic, and capitalist goals of the billionaires behind these private companies. The Outer Space Treaty, created during the heart of the Space Race and the Cold War, is an international treaty providing a skeleton of regulations to protect us from damaging or misusing space. Specifically, Article IX was created to ensure that space should be respected as an environment that we must aim to protect. The cracks in this resolution are beginning to show as we birth new ideas like space tourism and the colonization of Mars. The treaty, while including a section for environmental protection, had the overarching goal of keeping weapons out of space and keeping the frontier open for peaceful scientific research. The concern comes with the vague wording within the treaty, wording that could create a loophole for private space companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin to be exempt from the resolutions defined within the treaty. While these companies have made strides in space exploration with their innovations in reusable rocket technology, we cannot trust that the intentions of the men behind these companies are pure.
A World For Many in the Palms of the Few
Rocket launches require many propellants to reach the Earth’s escape velocity. These propellants are a direct risk to our atmosphere as the rocket breaks into orbit. SpaceX rocket Falcon9 releases carbon dioxide equal to the emissions that would be created from driving a car 70 times around the Earth. Another large concern comes with the black carbon that is emitted during take-off. Black carbon creates risks for both the health of people and the climate alike. Not only does black carbon contribute to the gradual warming of our atmosphere as shown in multiple studies, but it has also been shown to increase carcinogenic risks in adults and children. While some might consider these figures to be insignificant in contrast to other carbon-based issues facing our planet, the worry comes with the prioritization of the space industry. Around 2005, there was a relative dip in the number of orbital launch attempts in comparison to the heights that we had seen during the Space Race in the ‘60s and ‘70s. However, since 2005, we have seen a steady, then sharp increase in the number of orbital launch attempts. 2023 saw a total of 223 attempts total. What is significant is that just over 50% of these launches were done commercially by companies such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX or Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin. Space travel as we know it is becoming increasingly dominated by the private sector, with profits being the main motivator for these private companies. It is very possible that the rise of space tourism could occur within the next few decades. Given how the data is trending, the number of rockets launched into space year after year is only going to increase, and with it, so will the amount of carbon emissions within our atmosphere.
The Hope
What remains is hope that our innovations in space have environmental benefits that outweigh the faults of our private sector. Our innovations in space have already equipped us with many more tools to protect our planet, with advanced satellite systems and imaging giving us a full picture of our past and present impact on the environment. With more data, we are more equipped to handle the issues that will face us in the future. However, more hope remains in terms of the private sector. While Elon Musk’s idea for Mars is looking to be more of a pipe dream and a way to increase publicity, there would be environmental benefits in colonizing Mars. The main reason is that Mars could provide a “backup” if our planet continues down its path of environmental destruction. However, our sights should be set on saving our current planet. For now, we should hope for regulation over the current privatized space industry. Regulation would ensure that the cosmos above us truly remain a haven for scientific research and innovation, not another market to capitalize on.
Recap
The launch of rockets into space, which have brought us great technologies, have adverse effects on our planet’s atmosphere and temperature. The increased influence the private sector has had over space exploration in recent history, with Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin leading this charge of commercial space flight, is worrying. Given the loopholes that could reside within the Outer Space Treaty and the incentive for these companies to continue launching rockets into space, the privatization of the space industry looks like it may create more harm than good for Earth, leaving both the people and space in the palms of billionaires who may not have our best interests at heart.
References:
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
Northwestern Scholarly Commons