Speaker
Description
The rapid expansion of the global space sector has led to a sharp increase in rocket launch activity and associated atmospheric emissions. Since 2019, the total mass of propellant burned in orbital launches has nearly quadrupled. Emerging heavy-lift systems and large satellite constellations are expected to further accelerate this trend. This underscores the need for quantitative assessments of rocket emissions and their impacts on atmospheric chemistry, ozone, and climate.
This work introduces the DLR Inventory of Global Emissions by Launcher (IGEL) 2024, a global, four-dimensional dataset of global rocket emissions. In contrast to existing emission inventories, which typically rely on emission indices generalized for propellant combinations or predefined emission distributions, IGEL reconstructs individual launch vehicles, their propulsion systems, and all their launch trajectories to generate a physically consistent emission inventory. This approach enables IGEL to account for the influence of engine cycles and propellant mixture ratios on emission indices, as well as variations in the spatial distribution of emissions associated with different booster recovery strategies and target orbits.
The dataset covers 26 launch vehicles, 37 engines, and 223 launches, representing over 95% of the propellant burned in orbital launches in 2024. IGEL contains a total of 131 Gg of emissions, dominated by CO₂ (53%) and H₂O (35%), alongside a diverse range of minor species including CO, nitrogen oxides, black carbon, and aluminum oxides. Emissions are distributed across all atmospheric layers, with significant fractions injected into the stratosphere and above, where their environmental impact may be amplified. The dataset includes a precompiled global three-dimensional emission inventory in NetCDF format, allowing seamless integration into atmospheric chemistry and climate models.
The DLR Inventory of Global Emissions by Launchers 2024 provides a consistent basis for assessing the growing role of spaceflight emissions in the Earth system. In the coming years, as part of the S3D-BETTER project the inventory will be further improved by adding early plume and intermediate plume models and it will be extended to a longer timeframe. Furthermore, it will be used by the DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics to estimate the climate and ozone impact of launch emissions. Beyond its role within S3D-BETTER, the inventory will be made publicly available and its use by other projects and institutions is explicitly encouraged.