Photo: Orbex
Humanity’s efforts to further explore space don’t have to – shouldn’t – take a toll on the planet. Space exploration can be done sustainably, with fewer emissions, no debris and a carbon-neutral footprint. Orbex Prime is proof of that.
Orbex Prime, publicly introduced in 2019 by space company Orbex, boasts of being the world’s largest 3D-printed rocket thanks to the engine produced this way, which is manufactured from a single piece without joints by SLM Solutions. Now, thanks to the findings of a study conducted at the University of Exeter, Orbex names its Orbex Prime the world’s most environmentally-friendly space rocket.
That’s a bold claim right there, but it’s not entirely surprising. Orbex had said before that the unique build of the space rocket and the fact that it used ultra-low-carbon biofuel would make it much greener than other rockets. The main structure is made of carbon fiber / graphene composites, and the innovative architecture translates into 20% more efficiency and, as such, reduces 30% of inert mass.
According to the study, Orbex Prime, which is eyeing a launch in late 2022 at the Space Hub Sutherland in the North of Scotland, will have a carbon footprint up to 96% lower than any other space program. With carbon offsetting, the footprint will be reduced altogether, which will make Orbex Prime completely carbon neutral.
The fact that it uses ultra-low-carbon biofuel (BioLPG) makes Orbex Prime 86% more environmentally-friendly than launch vehicles that are powered by fossil fuels. Direct launch emissions for Prime are 96% lower than with a horizontally launched vehicle, Orbex notes. One launch of the Prime space rocket results in total emissions of 13.9 tons of CO2e, including direct emissions from the launch and indirect emissions from the production of the fuel, which is the average amount of emissions produced by one single person in the UK in a year. This amount will be offset through carbon-offsetting programs, Orbex says.
Prime is reusable and leaves no debris on Earth, in the atmosphere or the Earth’s oceans. Hopefully, it will set the pace for every other player in the space game, in the UK and abroad.
“Orbex will be the first commercial orbital space launch company to use a renewable, carbon-friendly fuel,” Chris Larmour, CEO of Orbex, explains. “We believe it is time for ultra green launch systems to come to the fore. We have to move away from the use of heavily polluting fossil fuels now that more efficient, sustainable alternatives are readily available, and we hope to see much tighter regulations coming into force.”
That’s a bold claim right there, but it’s not entirely surprising. Orbex had said before that the unique build of the space rocket and the fact that it used ultra-low-carbon biofuel would make it much greener than other rockets. The main structure is made of carbon fiber / graphene composites, and the innovative architecture translates into 20% more efficiency and, as such, reduces 30% of inert mass.
According to the study, Orbex Prime, which is eyeing a launch in late 2022 at the Space Hub Sutherland in the North of Scotland, will have a carbon footprint up to 96% lower than any other space program. With carbon offsetting, the footprint will be reduced altogether, which will make Orbex Prime completely carbon neutral.
The fact that it uses ultra-low-carbon biofuel (BioLPG) makes Orbex Prime 86% more environmentally-friendly than launch vehicles that are powered by fossil fuels. Direct launch emissions for Prime are 96% lower than with a horizontally launched vehicle, Orbex notes. One launch of the Prime space rocket results in total emissions of 13.9 tons of CO2e, including direct emissions from the launch and indirect emissions from the production of the fuel, which is the average amount of emissions produced by one single person in the UK in a year. This amount will be offset through carbon-offsetting programs, Orbex says.
Prime is reusable and leaves no debris on Earth, in the atmosphere or the Earth’s oceans. Hopefully, it will set the pace for every other player in the space game, in the UK and abroad.
“Orbex will be the first commercial orbital space launch company to use a renewable, carbon-friendly fuel,” Chris Larmour, CEO of Orbex, explains. “We believe it is time for ultra green launch systems to come to the fore. We have to move away from the use of heavily polluting fossil fuels now that more efficient, sustainable alternatives are readily available, and we hope to see much tighter regulations coming into force.”
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