ESA is a pioneer in the field of Ecodesign for space, having actively worked on understanding and finding ways to decrease the environmental footprint of space missions, from their design to their disposal, for the past decade. This process started with the adaptation and application of the environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to space activities and progressed with the development and publication of the Space System Life Cycle Assessment Guidelines and the ESA LCA Database. Applying Ecodesign to space missions means to design them considering their environmental impact on Earth and fostering the use of green materials and manufacturing processes.

In this course, ESA provides an introduction to the LCA methodology, a methodology which allows the identification of environmental hotspots or areas of environmental improvement, with a focus on the specificities of the space sector. Then, the definition of Ecodesign and the Ecodesign approach undertaken by ESA are explained through some examples.

To conclude, Sara Morales Serrano, ESA Clean Space system engineer summarises the lessons learnt so far while applying LCA to the Space sector.

This training course was prepared by Sara Morales Serrano, Clean Space system engineer, Estefania Padilla, Clean Space system engineer, Sibyl-Anna De Courson, ESA Clean Space YGT and Enrico Tormena, Clean Space intern.

This training was prepared in the frame of the Trainings on Space for Climate Action organized by UNOOSA.

Learn more: https://blogs.esa.int/cleanspace/ 

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