Estimating CO2 emissions due to present and future suborbital space tourism industry.

ABSTRACT: Estimating and predicting CO2 emissions are the keys to achieving the overall greenhouse gas emission goals for 2030 and 2050. Recent surges in space tourism have generated significant interest and concern. However, the associated CO2 emission and potential future increase remain largely uncertain due to limited publicly available information from the industry. Focusing on suborbital flights, we develop an analytical model to estimate the associated CO2 emissions, considering differences in spacecraft, fuel types, and flight characteristics. The model is based on basic physical principles and fundamental kinetics of the launching and landing phases. We find that suborbital tourism releases 400-1,000 times more CO2 per passenger per hour compared with commercial aviation flights. The spacec

SUBMITTER: Huang AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12367173 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature