Trump admin. to halt space pollution research, to Musk's advantage

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
7 May 2025 21:56
4 Shares

The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to shut down federal research into pollution caused by satellites and rockets, including that produced by Elon Musk’s space ventures.

Listen

Elon Musk speaks at SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition in Washington on March 9, 2020. (AP)

Elon Musk, owner of SpaceX and Starlink, could benefit from Trump's cuts to projects that might have led to new regulations and costs.

The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to shut down federal research into pollution caused by satellites and rockets, including that produced by Elon Musk’s space ventures, raising new concerns over potential conflicts of interest involving the billionaire owner of SpaceX and Starlink.

Pollution appears to be accumulating in the stratosphere at alarming levels, with some experts warning it could damage the ozone layer, increase human exposure to ultraviolet radiation, or contribute to climate instability during a time of global climate crisis.

Musk stands to gain

Experts say the two canceled research projects could have eventually led to new regulations, added costs, or logistical challenges for Musk’s companies and the wider commercial space industry.

Tim Whitehouse, executive director of the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility non-profit, which has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for emails around the projects, stated that there is obvious "political motivation, and Elon Musk’s business interests are tied up in Noaa’s work."

The executive director added that “these are programs the government wanted to build up, that had bipartisan support, and suddenly they’re being gutted with no rhyme, reason or adequate explanation.”

How satellites pollute

As of present, the majority of the pollution is estimated to be caused by Starlink's and Amazon's "mega constellations" of around 10,000 satellites that deliver broadband internet. As a satellite competition among nations heats up, up to 100,000 satellites are likely to be in near-Earth orbit over the next decade.

Spacecraft can pose issues when they go up and down. Launch vehicles release a variety of pollutants, including black carbon, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, aluminum oxide, chlorine gases, and, once in orbit, mercury. When satellites are retired after five to 15 years, they evaporate, releasing metals. This involves infusing contaminants into previously pure sections of the stratosphere, a very sensitive system, with little knowledge of the implications.

Unchecked space pollution raises global risks

With US research into stratospheric pollution halted, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos now effectively influence the upper atmosphere’s health, despite recent findings of metal-laced aerosols that help regulate Earth’s climate, raising concerns among experts about commercial interests overriding environmental science.

Determining composition of spaceship emissions key concern

A commercial space sector employee who also collaborated with government academics on the project stated that one of the government's key concerns was determining the composition of spaceship emissions. The composition and fuel of a spacecraft are exclusive knowledge, thus, researchers must use their formula to understand pollution.

While the workshop may result in new laws for the commercial space industry, no one, even space businesses, understands the scope and possible challenges.

"If they want to cover something up, then they need to know the size and scope of what needs to be covered up," according to the worker. "The size and scope of the problem could catch them by surprise, and they hate surprises."

According to sources, there are no immediate organizations capable of filling the stratospheric measurement vacuum, however, the European Space Agency is working on it.

There is also no apparent answer for producing non-polluting spacecraft since every substance that burns emits pollutants. Having fewer satellites is one of the greatest choices, but the industry is unlikely to agree to it.