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Comment by gardenhedge | Hacker News Reader

What about air qualify in the surrounding area? Pm2.5 levels..

Is that really a concern? It may not be super healthy but it's not like you are going to a rocket launch every day. Airports are very unhealthy with the PM 0.1 levels but i haven't heard of anyone not flying because of that.

Air quality is something I've started paying attention to recently. I've flown a lot in the past but have never thought of it.

A proper N95 solves it (unfortunately many that flooded the market post Covid are n95 ‘in name only’ and don’t have stable electret charged fibers).

It’s powered by methane, not coal

methane combustion _does_ release PM2.5

If you are close enough to experience a PM2.5 spike from the actual exhaust, then you probably have far worse health issues.

What particles? Why?

basically soot, as combustion is rarely a perfect CO₂ + H₂O

technically, methane is coal (with extra hydrogen)

https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/south-padre-island/78597/a...

If it's a concern, I'd check again on Thursday & early Friday. At least around me, this summer, their multi-day forecasts were often pretty inaccurate.

I would be shocked if it were measurable. The launch is 5 miles away and the breeze blows inland.

The last launch sent some... larger than 2.5 micron bits up to 6.5 miles away.

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-04-26/spacex-sta...

I suspect the new water deluge system will help a lot this time around, though.

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