® Waste heat released at the receiving antenna does not constitute a significant thermal effect on the atmosphere. If the antenna is located in desert regions where water is limited, there may be some slight modification of the plant community at and near the antenna site. With RF shielding incorporated below the receiving antenna, operation can be compatible with other land uses, because there is only a small degree of reduction of solar radiation received on the ground below the antenna. However, installation and maintenance of the antenna has to be planned because extensive activities may be damaging to some ecologically important systems. $ Injection of water into the stratosphere and upper atmosphere by space vehicle exhausts will be small in contrast to the natural abundance. 2. Recommendations. — More information on upper atmosphere properties and processes occuring there should be compiled so the effects of space shuttle flight water and NO injection can be established in detail. b. Biological Effects 1. Conclusions. - The SSPS can be designed to accommodate a wide range of microwave power flux densities to meet internationally accepted standards of microwave exposure. The transmitting antenna size, the shape of the microwave power distribution across the antenna, and the total power transmitted will determine the level of microwave power flux densities in the beam reaching the Earth. Precise pointing of the microwave beam can be achieved with attitude stabilization and automatic phase control to assure efficient transmission of the power to the receiving antenna. The design approaches already identified indicate that this objective can be met. As to the biological effects of long-term exposure to microwaves, research plans developed and recommended by the Office of Telecommunications Policy (OTP) are addressing the relatively known adverse biological effects due to the generation of heat by microwaves and other radio frequency radiation at high intensities, as well as tlie extent and importance of inadequately known, but more subtle, changes which may occur at lower intensities. Recognizing that an assessment of biological effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation for the whole spectrum will be provided through the OTP, we feel that the SSPS will not present further significant or unique biological effects on the public due to the microwave radiation. 2. Recommendations. — The effects on birds exposed to microwave power flux densities within the beam at the receiving antenna and the effects on aircraft flying through the beam, even though projected to be negligible, should be determined experimentally.
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