The UK space industry now has its first complete estimate of how much greenhouse gas emissions it produces, thanks to new research led by Dr Andrew Wilson from Glasgow Caledonian University.
The study gives the most detailed picture so far of the industry’s environmental impact and explains how it can help the UK reach its net-zero target by 2050.
The project began by reviewing current UK climate policies and the rules already used in the space sector. This helped the team see where guidance is unclear, where different organisations use different methods, and where stronger action or new ideas might be needed.
In collaboration with the Satellite Applications Catapult and Space4Climate, Dr Wilson, based in the School of Science and Engineering, worked with a wide range of space-sector organisations to gather information about what they do and converted this into individual organisational carbon footprints.
All the data was anonymised, combined and scaled up to estimate the total emissions produced across the whole industry, which was found to be 0.85 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent for 2024. This included emissions created before and after space activities take place − from making satellite parts to running satellites in orbit. Government emissions data and the Strathclyde Space Systems Database were also used to support the calculations.
Dr Wilson said: “The report doesn’t just look at today’s emissions. It also models several ways the industry could grow between now and 2050, showing how emission levels might change under different scenarios. Based on this, we created a practical plan to help the industry reduce its emissions while continuing to expand. The plan identifies the biggest sources of emissions and recommends clear actions across seven key areas of energy consumption: data processing & storage; products, processes & services; launch; transportation; waste & end of life; and regulation, policy & initiatives.”
The findings are designed to help key decision-makers in the UK − including the Civil Aviation Authority, UK Research and Innovation, the UK Space Agency and industry group UKspace − work together to build a consistent and effective approach to cutting carbon across the UK space sector.
Dr Wilson also took part in an in-conversation event on this technical report at the recent Space-Comm Expo Scotland conference, which included Glasgow Caledonian’s Chair of Court Yvette Hopkins.
Extracted from Glasgow Caledonian University website, read more here