Cornwall space launch: why the environmental cost of rocket launches is large even when they fail

A recent UK mission to launch satellites into space from Spaceport Cornwall in the west of England failed to deliver the satellites to orbit. But the rocket, LauncherOne, succeeded in releasing hazardous pollutants to the middle and upper layers of the atmosphere where many will remain for years.

The mission kickstarted a new era of UK-based rocket launches and is part of…

© La Conversation - vendredi 20 janvier 2023