In June, former Técnico student José Pedro Ferreira was awarded the Space for Sustainability Award by the European Space Agency (ESA) in Austria. Since 2022, he has been conducting research at the University of Southern California in the United States. The Portuguese researcher is focused on studying the environmental impact of satellite re-entry into the atmosphere. His interest in this field dates back to his “first professional experience”, during which he worked “on the development of small satellites” and had to ensure the “removal of satellites from orbit at the end of their useful life”.

According to the aerospace engineering alumnus “the environmental impacts associated with space exploration” that “should be taken into account from the extraction of raw materials and production, to the launch and re-entry of satellites and launcher stages” remain “an open question”.

‘Research conducted at the end of the 20th century revealed worrying patterns,’ he says. However, “little is known about the impact that small particles have on chemical and physical processes at high altitude,” he concludes.

‘The lack of in-depth knowledge of the consequences’ of the growing number of launches of small satellites into orbit led the Portuguese researcher ‘to pursue this challenge’. His PhD focuses on ‘determining how small particles are generated during atmospheric re-entry and their potential environmental impact’. The ‘need to minimise the amount of debris in orbit’ is necessary to ‘ensure access to outer space for future generations’.

The ESA’s Space for Sustainability Award aims to honour ideas from young professionals or researchers in space sustainability and to implement them into the European Space Agency’s technology development structure. The proposals are evaluated by a panel of astronauts, executives and parliamentarians from various European states. José Pedro Ferreira believes that ‘this competition has great symbolic importance because it shows the commitment of European decision-makers to the transition to a less polluting economy’.

The researcher’s proposal was unanimously voted as the winner of the 11th edition of the award. If implemented, it will provide “a conclusion regarding the potential environmental impact of specific components of space vehicles and will offer a clear directive for using alternative materials or reallocating resources for the development of less polluting materials. The researcher adds “it was also demonstrated how current ESA tools can be used and improved to contribute to the same objective.

At the beginning of July, José Pedro Ferreira was included in Forbes Portugal’s 30 under 30 list, which he sees as ‘recognition for dedication and contribution to various technical and educational initiatives in the aerospace sector in Portugal’.