Rocket launches in the North Sea: government fears massive environmental impact

The launches of space rockets from the North Sea planned by the German Offshore Spaceport Alliance (GOSA) from 2026 after several delays must be carefully examined. This was stated by the German government in a recently published answer to a question from the Die Linke group. In principle, the project for an offshore spaceport must be specifically checked on a case-by-case basis and meet the requirements of nature conservation law. However, as the space law actually announced by the traffic light coalition could no longer be passed, there is currently no authority in charge of this.

The environmental impact of the maritime rocket launch site could be extensive, the executive writes. According to GOSA, the site is located in the Dogger Bank area in the German Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and therefore directly in or in the immediate vicinity of a nature reserve. This sandbank is an important breeding ground for harbor porpoises, according to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK), which is responsible for the project. Depending on the distance, noise from rocket launches can lead to a permanent or temporary shift in hearing thresholds or disturb the animals in their natural behavior. During the sensitive period of reproduction and rearing of young, strong noise events could potentially even lead to the separation of mother-calf pairs, which would be fatal for the young animals.

Depending on the scale and frequency of rocket launches, seabirds and resting birds in the area could also be significantly disturbed, according to the response. In order to assess the environmental impact, the noise emissions under water, the pollutants and waste emitted and all impacts on species and habitats would therefore have to be taken into account.

Impact assessment is crucial

"If the impact assessment shows that the project may have a significant adverse effect on the site in terms of its conservation objectives or the conservation purpose, it is not permitted," clarifies the BMWK. Deviating from this, "an exception to the approval of the project can be granted under strict conditions". The project must be "necessary for compelling reasons of overriding public interest, including those of a social or economic nature". Furthermore, there must be "no reasonable alternatives" to achieve the intended purpose elsewhere with no or less adverse effects.

According to the government, if the launches are carried out from a stationary platform, the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) is the responsible approval authority for the construction and operation in accordance with the Maritime Installations Act. However, this does not apply to mobile installations. It is not possible to provide an abstract answer as to whether there are any special features in the case of a mobile platform that is regularly used at the same location. There is currently no space law regulation for orbital launches from German ships or for the operation of such a launch facility per se.

GOSA anticipates a rapidly growing market with around 1000 satellites to be launched into space every year before the end of this decade. The Federal Government and the Bundestag initially supported the project, for which the Federation of German Industries (BDI) provided the initial impetus in 2019, with a budget resolution and a volume of 2 million euros until 2025. However, the traffic light later proved to be sceptical. The Office of Technology Assessment at the Bundestag (TAB) recently shed light on the advantages and disadvantages of Germany having its launch site for launch vehicles.

(ciw)