The Hidden Cost of Spaceflight: Rocket Emissions and Environmental Change
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
In Person or Zoom Presentation
In-Person
Campus
Daytona Beach
Status
Student
Presentation Description/Abstract
Rocket launches have become increasingly common along Florida’s Space Coast, with 109 launches from Cape Canaveral in 2025. This change in launch frequency raises important questions about the environmental and ecological consequences of expanding space operations in the area. While rockets provide groundbreaking scientific and technological insight, the exhaust and runoff from launch procedures release harmful gases and chemical particles such as CO2 and hypochloric acid into the environment, scattering and depositing chemicals into nearby soil and lakes. This research investigates the environmental effects of rocket launch emissions at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, with particular attention to chemical deposition into soil and lakes, and the consequence this has on vegetation and wildlife. Research will be conducted using literature reviews of scientific studies, NASA environmental monitoring, and federal assessments of launch procedures and propellants’ effects on the local environment. This research will examine potential techniques to lessen these negative impacts, including cleaner propellants and improved launch site mitigation techniques. By analyzing the connection between rocket emissions and environmental shifts, this research assesses how Florida can continue to be a home for the space industry while minimizing its impact on the surrounding ecosystem.
Keywords
Pollution, ecosystem, contamination, rocket engine exhaust, wildlife, chemicals
The Hidden Cost of Spaceflight: Rocket Emissions and Environmental Change
Rocket launches have become increasingly common along Florida’s Space Coast, with 109 launches from Cape Canaveral in 2025. This change in launch frequency raises important questions about the environmental and ecological consequences of expanding space operations in the area. While rockets provide groundbreaking scientific and technological insight, the exhaust and runoff from launch procedures release harmful gases and chemical particles such as CO2 and hypochloric acid into the environment, scattering and depositing chemicals into nearby soil and lakes. This research investigates the environmental effects of rocket launch emissions at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, with particular attention to chemical deposition into soil and lakes, and the consequence this has on vegetation and wildlife. Research will be conducted using literature reviews of scientific studies, NASA environmental monitoring, and federal assessments of launch procedures and propellants’ effects on the local environment. This research will examine potential techniques to lessen these negative impacts, including cleaner propellants and improved launch site mitigation techniques. By analyzing the connection between rocket emissions and environmental shifts, this research assesses how Florida can continue to be a home for the space industry while minimizing its impact on the surrounding ecosystem.