Boulder, Colo-- U.S. scientists say rocket launches might soon need to be regulated to prevent significant damage to the Earth's stratospheric ozone layer.
The researchers -- University of Colorado-Boulder Professor Darin Toohey; Patrick Ross of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla.; and Martin Ross and Manfred Peinemann of the Aerospace Corp. in Los Angeles -- estimated future ozone layer depletion based on the expected growth of the space industry and known impacts of rocket launches.
"As the rocket launch market grows, so will ozone-destroying rocket emissions," said Toohey. "If left unregulated, rocket launches by the year 2050 could result in more ozone destruction than was ever realized by chlorofluorocarbons."
