A New Era of the Space Race - Can It Be Done Sustainably?

It feels like every other week we hear news about another CEO or billionaire jetting off into space. Are we entering a new era of the Space Race? instead of politicians and governments gloating about their space programs, we now have billionaires live-streaming their afternoon flights to the edge of the ozone. Every one of these launches emits 300 tons of carbon dioxide into the upper atmosphere. With the frequency of private launches increasing, as well as the demand for space exploration constantly growing, the need for sustainable space travel is urgent. What environmental impact do these privately funded space programs have? Should governments have more of a say? In today's episode of the Interchange: Recharged, we are joined by Derek Harris, the CEO of an aerospace fuel company aiming to create a sustainable rocket fuel mix. The company, Ecosene, believes that space travel does not have to be a burden on our environment. They are even taking it a step further, by researching and creating a new fuel that is composed of plastic waste dredged from our oceans. Derek walks us through the science behind the fuel and how it will be applied to the real world. Is it possible for them to solve two environmental issues with one process? Is their plan viable? These questions, as well as the science, financing and ethics behind sustainable space travel are put under the microscope this week, so buckle in. The Interchange is brought to you by JinkoSolar, a leading solar panel manufacturer and energy storage integrator. JinkoSolar now offers energy storage for a variety of residential, C&I, and utility projects. To learn more about Jinko’s EAGLE Storage products visit www.jinkosolar.us/interchange. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Om Podcasten

Clean tech, green finance and energy innovation are the three lanes on the road to a successful global energy transition. At the intersection of these lanes is a place where ideas on finance, technology and policy are shared and debated. That intersection is Interchange Recharged.  Sylvia Leyva Martinez, principal analyst at Wood Mackenzie, invites visionaries, entrepreneurs, policy-makers and energy analysts to explore the newest developments in renewable technology, explain the ideas on global energy policy that could accelerate the energy transition, and identify new funding and financial models that could solve the biggest challenges we face on the way to net zero.  Sylvia and her guests bring you data and forecasts on clean technology, climate science, and offer predictions on the build out of utility-scale projects and the future of green finance. What impacts do the annual UN Conference of the Parties have on decarbonisation goals and climate change? What will COP30 bring? What’s happening in global EV adoption and development? What’s the forecast for solar energy, one of the major success stories of renewable energy in the last ten years? What does the data tell us about the future of hydrogen, of nuclear, or of low-carbon power?  These are examples of the insights and detailed analyses you can expect bi-weekly on Tuesdays at 7am ET.  If you like The Energy Transition Show, Catalyst with Shayle Kann, The Big Switch from Columbia University, Open Circuit with Stephen Lacey or The Green Blueprint, you’ll enjoy Interchange Recharged.  Want to get involved with the show? Reach out to podcasts@woodmac.com to: Bring Sylvia and Interchange Recharged to your event Be a guest on the show  Sponsor an episode Ask a question to Sylvia or one of our guests  Check out another leading clean tech global podcast by Wood Mackenzie, Energy Gang, at woodmac.com/podcasts/the-energy-gang Wood Mackenzie is the leading global data and analytics solutions provider for renewables, energy and natural resources. Learn more about Wood Mackenzie on the official website: https://www.woodmac.com/