Sustainably in - 8 May 2025
The Earth from above: orbital beauty, planetary cost
The environmental impact of space missions between dreams, spectacle, and responsibility
Nasa - Osservare un lancio dall'alto
The Earth has always seemed vast and mysterious enough to me to deserve all our attention. I never felt the urge to look elsewhere, among the stars. But in recent years, thanks to Marianna - a passionate explorer of the cosmos - I’ve learned to look at the sky with new, more curious eyes.
On April 14, 2025, when news broke of Blue Origin’s suborbital mission that carried Katy Perry beyond the Kármán line, I found myself torn between wonder and questions. On one hand, the symbolic power of a "civilian" crew - oddly enough, entirely female - crossing the boundaries of space. On the other hand, the not-so-subtle sense that such powerful gestures carry with them new complexities.
How do we reconcile enthusiasm for innovation with awareness of environmental impact? How do we interpret the increasingly blurred line between progress and privilege? Perhaps, as is often the case, it’s not about choosing a single answer but learning to hold space for multiple questions.
With those questions in mind, I decided to take a closer look at the available data and research to understand the real effects space missions have on our planet. Because, in the end, space isn’t so far from Earth after all.
Not all launches reach great heights
Anonymous artist, A Traveler Puts His Head Beyond the Firmament, 1888, engraving from Camille Flammarion’s “L’atmosphère: météorologie populaire”
Space has always ignited our imagination. From 19th-century romantic paintings to the verses of Giacomo Leopardi, who called the moon a silent confidante, to David Bowie’s Space Oddity, the sky has inspired us to look beyond.
Today, however, the conquest of space is not just symbolic or scientific: it is also a growing industrial sector. And like any human activity, it brings environmental consequences.
A single space launch can generate several hundred tons of CO₂, along with fine particles and gases that reach the upper layers of the atmosphere. Some studies (including those published in Springer Nature and research by Italy’s National Research Council) are beginning to explore how these emissions might affect the climate, although the picture is still evolving.
To dive into specifics, a study by Eloise Marais, a physical geography professor at University College London, found that a single spaceflight can produce between 50 and 100 tons of CO₂ per passenger. By comparison, a transatlantic flight generates about 1 to 3 tons of CO₂ per passenger.
What does that mean? Well, considering the average annual per capita CO₂ emissions in Italy are about 5.56 tons, a single tourist spaceflight can emit the equivalent of 9 to 18 years’ worth of CO₂ from an average Italian citizen.
Space tourism: out of this world, into the problem
The “astronauts” of Blue Origin
Katy Perry’s mission was presented as a historic milestone, a gesture of symbolic importance. Yet it also sparked debate around the sustainability of space tourism: can space tourism ever be sustainable?
A suborbital flight lasts only a few minutes and consumes the equivalent of thousands of car trips. And unlike scientific or monitoring missions, it yields virtually no environmental or social benefit.
What’s more, the exclusivity of these flights (tickets range from $200,000 to $500,000) makes them an emblem of environmental inequality: high emissions for minimal gain, accessible only to a privileged few.
Despite the high environmental cost and prohibitive expenses, the space tourism sector is growing rapidly. By 2035, it’s projected to reach $5.1 billion in revenue, with an annual growth rate of 10.4% starting in 2025.
Space tourism = Space traffic
The perfect read for those curious not about the universe, but paradoxically, about humans - Douglas Adams, 1979
Currently, space launches are relatively few compared to other forms of transport: in 2023, there were 223 orbital launch attempts globally (211 successful), compared to around 96,700 daily commercial flights (Air Transport Action Group). However, rocket emissions are released directly into the upper atmosphere, where they can persist for extended periods - two to three years.
With the expansion of space tourism, companies like Virgin Galactic plan up to 400 annual flights. Although this is still less than commercial air traffic, the accumulation of emissions in the stratosphere could have long-term climatic consequences.
Out-of-orbit waste
Beyond emissions, another growing concern is space debris.
According to the European Space Agency (ESA), over 36,500 objects larger than 10 cm currently orbit Earth and are constantly tracked to prevent collisions. However, it’s estimated that more than one million pieces larger than 1 cm are also out there -making space increasingly crowded and hazardous.
These fragments - generated by satellite collisions, rocket explosions, and past missions - travel at speeds up to 28,000 km/h. At those speeds, even a tiny fragment can cause serious damage to satellites and spacecraft. A prime example is the 2009 collision between the Iridium 33 satellite and the defunct Russian Cosmos-2251, which created over 1,800 new fragments.
Climate change also plays a role: the thinning of the thermosphere due to global warming slows down the descent and disintegration of debris, allowing it to remain in orbit longer.
Space agencies are working on "orbital cleanup" solutions and international protocols for more responsible management. ESA, for instance, has launched projects like ClearSpace-1, a mission aimed at actively removing high-risk space debris.
The Infinitely Vast, the Infinitely Fragile
There’s no denying that space exploration has given us some of the most breathtaking images of our time. Earth seen from the Moon, colorful nebulae captured by the James Webb Telescope, rovers exploring Mars... these are achievements that feed our collective desire to discover.
Rover on Mars
But today, more than ever, it’s important to pair wonder with reflection.
How do we balance innovation, imagination, and sustainability?
As Frank White writes in The Overview Effect, seeing Earth from space forever changes one’s perception of our planet: fragile, unique, without borders. Maybe space tourism offers this awareness to its participants. But it could also be an opportunity for all of us to look at our responsibilities on Earth with new eyes.
So, What Do We Do? Dream, But Consciously!
When Katy Perry recounted her experience, she said: "I felt small and big at the same time." That line struck me - because space has a way of confronting us with our own scale.
Exploration is never a mistake. It never has been.
But perhaps we can learn to explore with greater awareness, more attention, and a curiosity that extends to consequences as well. Not to give up dreaming, but to learn how to dream more sustainably.
This time, I feel like signing off with a more introspective note—borrowing those famous words from Kant that seem to fit perfectly: "The starry sky above me and the moral law within me."
Maybe that’s where space and responsibility can truly meet.
Chiara Pontoni
Sustainability Manager
Gesteco