Speaker
Description
On June 18, during the Paris International Air and Space Show at Le Bourget, the CNES, DGE, and GIFAS presented the decarbonization roadmap for the French space industry. This roadmap, a world first, evaluates the carbon footprint of the French space industry at 1.8 million tons of CO₂ equivalent per year, but excluding high-atmosphere effects due to uncertainty. The industry proposes an ambitious scenario to reduce emissions by 49 % by 2040, aligned with the French National Low-Carbon Strategy (SNBC). Twelve action levers have been identified, including better understanding of high-atmosphere effects to reduce their impacts.
In-depth research is needed to better understand high-atmosphere phenomena and guide the development of less impactful materials and propellants. A CNES work plan has been launched to address atmospheric modeling, launch studies, and atmospheric re-entry studies. These research efforts aim to reduce the proportion of materials and propellants with high radiative impact or contributing to ozone depletion in order to respect the French decarbonization roadmap to reduce impacts. Priority actions include simulations, modeling, and characterization to better understand high-atmosphere phenomena, as well as the development of low-radiative impact materials or propellants and/or those that minimize ozone depletion and cooperation is a key to success.
