Calculations have shown that injection of water and carbon dioxide into the F region results both in plasma reduction (electron-ion recombination) and enhanced airglow (visible emissions from excited molecules). These predictions have been verified both inadvertantly during the NASA Skylab launch and deliberately during the LAGOPEDO experiments. Further work is required to determine if other phenomena including plasma temperature variations and instabilities also accompany such depletions. Enhanced airglow, while not a serious matter at ground level, can contribute to the noise level of satellite-based surveillance systems. Plasma instabilities may be important sources of interference with radio communication and navigation systems. Plasma temperature variations could lead to thermal expansion that could modify satellite drag. Recommendations addressing F-region problems made at the above-mentioned workshop include the following: 1. Obtain a quantitative description of all SPS rocket effluent terms as a function of space and time. 2. Develop three-dimensional simulation techniques needed to assess local effects of rocket effluents. 3. Utilize two-dimensional simulation models to assess global effects of multiple rocket launches following the SPS design schedule. 4. Perform rocket molecular release experiments to measure neutral, ion-neutral, and ion-ion diffusion coefficients and to test simulation predictions. 5. Conduct laboratory experiments to determine molecular ion dissociative recombination rates and products (specifically for H20+ and 0H+). 6. Examine archived data taken during previous rocket launches to test simulation predictions and to search for radio scintillation effects and for traveling ionospheric disturbances associated with gravity waves caused by the rocket launches. 7. Monitor NASA and DOD rocket launches and space shuttle orbital flight tests to test simulation predictions and to search for radio scintillation effects and traveling ionospheric disturbances.
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