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BFF Blog
It is exactly rocket science ...
Tue 01 Dec 2009
BFF has been commissioned to look at the carbon footprint of satellite communications, such as television and internet services. Having previously footprinted various types of passenger and freight aircraft, helicopters and hot air balloons, the prospect of investigating the rocket-powered transport of satellites held no fear for our analysts... but it did yield its fair share of surprises.
Rockets are not quite as impactful on the environment as one might think. They are fuelled using a hydrogen/oxygen mix with the former often derived from either ethanol or extracted from water using renewable energy (there is a hydro-electricity plant at Kourou - near French Guiana Space Centre).
Once in orbit satellites are, of course, entirely solar-powered. According to one study, a launch of one Ariane 5 rocket produces fewer carbon emissions than a single jumbo jet flight from London to New York.
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