Destructive effect of space operations on earh ebvironment

Abstract

Launches of missiles – carriers of space vehicles – were shown to affect Earth environment destructively. This effect is demonstrated in Earth surface pollution at launch areas, terrestrial atmosphere pollution, destruction of atmospheric ozone layer and circumterrestrial space fouling. All missile launches causing their getting to the space are divided into three stages: Second World War (V-2 launches), 1945-1957 period – launches of geophysical rockets – and launches of manned and unmanned space vehicles. Launch dynamics of geophysical rockets and carrier missiles of space vehicles was analyzed. Autocorrelation function was built for temporal series of annual geophysical rocket launches. The analysis proved random character of their annual launches. The autocorrelation function analysis of launch number variation by decades within the period 1957 – 2019 also showed poor continuity in planning of space vehicle carrier missiles. With the help of cluster analysis method the main countries-environment polluters due to their space activities were shown to be Russian Federation, United States of America and Chinese People’s Republic who are responsible for 90,5% of space junk. Regression equations were obtained for distribution along heights of combustion products exhausted by missile engines.