Toward a Circular Economy in Space: Why Satellite Reuse Is Urgent—and Overdue
The space industry is growing faster than ever. With that growth comes the same danger we’ve seen in other high-tech sectors: ignoring environmental costs today in hopes of future returns. My licentiate thesis, Toward a Circular Economy in Space: The Role of Satellite Reuse, argues that this approach has failed Earth industries—and if we don’t change now, it will fail space too.
Despite the promise of space innovation, most satellites are still designed for single use. They end their lives by burning up in Earth’s atmosphere or becoming part of the ever-growing cloud of space debris. Meanwhile, rocket launches pollute the upper atmosphere with black carbon and other harmful substances, and satellite re-entries release toxic metals into the stratosphere.
The central question of my thesis is: Can satellite reuse help us avoid the environmental mistakes of past industries?
Abstract (from the thesis)
Driven by innovation and cost reductions, the space industry is experiencing rapid growth. The proliferation of human-made objects launched into Earth orbits presents significant environmental challenges. If not properly addressed, continued growth at the current rate could lead to negative impacts both in space and on Earth.
The space industry has begun exploring sustainable practices, though most efforts focus on addressing issues that are related to the space environment. This neglects the impact on Earth and its atmosphere. Progress has been made in reuse of rocket bodies, however the benefits of satellite reuse remain largely disregarded. For example, the environmental impact of satellite constellations that are currently designed with large amounts of single use satellites, is still underexplored.
This underscores the critical research gap in understanding the fast-growing space industry’s impact on the environment and advancing knowledge related to satellite reuse. Therefore, the objective of this thesis is to explore satellite reuse and its contribution to space sustainability. The research starts by exploring how the fast-growing space industry impacts the environment and then examines if satellite reuse could help mitigate this impact. It ends with asking why satellite reuse is not yet widespread.
The research in this thesis employs a mixed-method approach, starting with industry expert interviews to gain insight into the current state of practice for satellite reuse. Building upon these interviews, two scoping studies were conducted to further the understanding on how satellite reuse could be achieved.
The findings emphasize the importance for the space industry to initiate an industrial transformation and develop sustainability-driven innovation rather than having a focus on mostly commercial gains. The absence of necessary practices and technologies for satellite reuse have been identified in three critical building blocks: (1) reverse logistics systems to retrieve and process satellites for reuse, (2) design practices that enable reuse, and (3) business models that ensure financial viability. Focusing on these three areas can advance sustainable practices in the space industry and could contribute to the mitigation of its negative environmental impact. The presented findings can provide valuable insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders, to rethink practices and to prioritize sustainability in space activities.
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Key Findings
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The Space Industry Is Repeating the Mistakes of Earth-Based Sectors
Like the automotive or electronics industries in the 20th century, space actors often justify short-term environmental harm by focusing on long-term benefits. This mindset led to pollution, overconsumption, and waste on Earth—and it’s now being replicated in orbit.
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Environmental Externalities Are Ignored
While space sustainability discussions often focus on orbital debris, my research shows a blind spot: the Earth-side impacts of launches and re-entries. Satellite reentry alone is projected to inject toxic metals into the stratosphere with unknown long-term effects.
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Satellite Reuse Is Technically and Economically Underdeveloped
There are currently no widespread standards or business models for satellite reuse. In most cases, it’s still cheaper and easier to discard satellites than to recover, refurbish, or upgrade them.
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Three Missing Building Blocks Prevent Circularity
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Designs that allow for easy disassembly, refueling, and upgrades.
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Reverse logistics systems to capture and process satellites.
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Business models and regulatory incentives to make reuse worthwhile.
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The Time to Act Is Now
The space industry still has the rare chance to build sustainability into its DNA. Circular principles, if adopted early, can reduce waste, pollution, and cost—while ensuring the long-term viability of space operations.
🛰️ What’s Next?
Satellite reuse isn’t a silver bullet—but it’s a clear step toward a circular space economy. My research outlines how we can move from a take-make-dispose model to one that enables reuse, refurbishment, and in-space servicing.
But we need leadership—from space agencies, industry, and regulators—to push these ideas forward.
📄 Read the full thesis here:
[Toward a Circular Economy in Space: The Role of Satellite Reuse – PDF Link]
If you’re working in space sustainability, policy, or satellite development, let’s connect. The conversation on building a sustainable space economy has only just begun—and we need everyone at the table.
Let’s rethink space together.
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