New Analysis Shows Billionaires' Dream of Space Tourism Would Be Disaster for Emissions, Climate Crisis

A new analysis from travel website Champion Traveler shows how the burgeoning space tourism industry favored by many U.S. billionaires could severely worsen the planetary climate crisis by emissions that, in one rocket launch, are equal to nearly 400 transatlantic flights.

While the number of rockets blasting off from Earth’s surface to the stratosphere—and beyond—are still low, recent reporting indicates there is a desire on the part of space tourism and shipping company SpaceX head Elon Musk to increase that number. 

“As rocket launches become more common and space tourism accelerates in you the reader’s lifetime, as most experts predict, companies such as SpaceX will need to consider the environmental impact of their launches at scale,” wrote Champion Traveler. 

The travel company’s researchers ran the data and found that:

• The SpaceX Falcon 9 B burns 29,600 gallons (112,184 Kg) of highly refined kerosene
• 3.0 Kg of CO2 goes into the atmosphere per Kg of Kerosene burned
• 112,184 Kg x 3 Kg / CO2 = roughly 336,552 Kg of CO2 per Falcon 9 launch