A pathway for closing the knowledge gaps for a comprehensive life cycle assessment and ecodesign of space transportation systems : results of the 3rd Workshop on Life Cycle Assessment of Space Transportation Systems

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Fischer, Jan-Steffan and Fasoulas, Stefanos and Bergmann, Nathalie and Ott, Antoinette and Pinto, Vera and Wilken, Jashcha and Udriot, Mathieu and Schulz, Leonard and Maddock, Christie (2024) A pathway for closing the knowledge gaps for a comprehensive life cycle assessment and ecodesign of space transportation systems : results of the 3rd Workshop on Life Cycle Assessment of Space Transportation Systems. University of Stuttgart. (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14222106)

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Abstract

The aim of this document is to summarize the state of knowledge on the environmental impacts of space transportation systems and to propose measures to close the identified knowledge gaps. It is intended to provide a basis for discussions in the context of the further development of the ESA Handbook, the development of the PEFCR for Space by the European Commission, the upcoming discussions in the context of CM25 and in the scientific and industrial community. The following open action points have been identified: - Early Implementation of Ecodesign Principles: Embed Ecodesign principles in the initial stages of STS development, ensuring environmental impacts influence design decisions. - Set Quantitative Ecodesign Targets: Establish KPIs to assess reduced resource depletion, emissions, and efficiency improvements in design and operations. - Centralize Ecodesign Knowledge: Develop a centralized repository to consolidate ecodesign guidelines, best practices, and lessons learned across the sector. - Expand Data Access and Quality: Enhance LCA databases for aerospace applications, including atmospheric emissions, by fostering data sharing and filling data gaps. - Develop and Fund Emission Impact Research: The impacts of emitted species from rockets on radiative forcing and ozone especially in the upper atmospheric layers must be better understood; this requires experimental investigations. - Validate Rocket Engine Emission Models with Experimental Data: Conduct ground tests on multiple engine configurations to validate models and ensure accurate prediction of emissions. - Enhance Black Carbon Modelling: Develop refined black carbon (BC) models tailored to space systems, as current models adapted from aviation do not fully capture rocket-specific conditions. - Develop and Fund Emission Measurement Campaigns: Support studies to measure emissions at varied altitudes using both direct and remote sensing, emphasizing cost-effective methods and standardization. - Create Comprehensive Emissions Databases: Develop accessible emissions databases following FAIR principles, enabling global collaboration for policy and research. - Expand Modelling Tools for Re-Entry Demise: Advance existing re-entry tools to analyze atmospheric impact and disintegration patterns for safety and environmental assessment. - Obtain Comprehensive Material Data: Improve access to material composition data for rocket bodies to predict disintegration behaviour, possibly through legal requirements for data disclosure to regulatory bodies. - Establish and Standardize Atmospheric Modelling Approaches: Further develop CCM and CTM to understand the atmospheric impact of launch and re-entry emissions, with a focus on ozone depletion, radiative forcing, and cloud formation. - Expand Particle Transport and Deposition Models: Model the atmospheric lifespan and deposition of particles to understand their dispersion and long-term environmental impact, focusing on sedimentation rates and stratospheric circulation patterns

ORCID iDs

Fischer, Jan-Steffan, Fasoulas, Stefanos, Bergmann, Nathalie, Ott, Antoinette, Pinto, Vera, Wilken, Jashcha, Udriot, Mathieu, Schulz, Leonard and Maddock, Christie ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1079-4863;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)