Spacecraft Life Cycle

The life of a spacecraft involves a cycle that begins with its fabrication and is followed by launch and normal operations. At the end of its mission, emerging best practice calls for it to be responsibly de-orbited the object and disposed of by direction into uninhabited parts of the world’s oceans. Each step in the cycle has potentially harmful effects on both the terrestrial environment and people. 

Land-use issues affect establishment of launch sites, and activities there generate air, water, and noise pollution. During launch, considerable amounts of black carbon soot are emitted at lower altitudes, while water vapor is injected into mid-level altitudes; both are known drivers of climate change. On reentry into the atmosphere, ablation of space hardware can result in metals like aluminum and titanium being deposited into the upper atmosphere, which may change its energy balance. Potential auroral effects may result from lithium pollution of the upper atmosphere. 

And to the extent that reentry does not completely disrupt returning space objects, they can cause harm on land or in the oceans. Residual toxic substances like unused hypergolic fuels can foul soil and water. Exotic materials like undeclared radionuclides are also potential pollution sources. And partially intact objects surviving to the ground can injure people and animals and may damage or destroy property.