to vary the initial expanded plume boundary temperature from 1130°K to 2000°K, causes NO* to increase by a factor of 35. The amount of N0x produced by afterburning at higher altitudes is a sensitive function of the shock waves produced by the launch vehicle and would have to be studied in detail. The effects of the major exhaust product, HoO, is uncertain. An increase in H20 will lead to an increase in H0x which is capable of catalytically destroying ozone. However, an increase in H0x would lead to a decrease in N0x another catalytical destroyer of ozone. Some unpublished results from the University of Michigan predict a 4% to 5% decrease in ozone from doubling the concentration of H20. Thus, although the direction of the net effect of H20 has not yet been fully established, it should be small. Should the OH and H not after-burn, it will, in a few days, still become H20 in the stratosphere. However, in these few days, local effects may result. These local effects could consist of a "corridor"' where OH destroys a significant amount of O3 before going to H2O or reducing N02. This would have to be studied in further detail. Impurities such as N2 and S can probably be controlled so that they, within themselves, would not cause much problem. For example, the N2 impurities in LO2 used in the Space Shuttle is less than 0.7%, and only a small fraction of this will form N0x. Thus, the following table can be constructed to give the contributions to the stratosphere for important minor compounds. This table assumes an equilibrium condition resulting from a launch rate of 4700 HLLV's/year.
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