OH Observations of Space Shuttle Exhaust

Abstract

We report the unexpected observation of a large hydroxyl (OH) cloud north and east of the United States a day after a space shuttle launch in November 1994. The Middle Atmosphere High Resolution Spectrograph Investigation (MAHRSI) observed OH(0,0) solar fluorescence near 309 nm while staring toward a tangent altitude of 87 km, where OH can be produced from water vapor photodissociation. The OH(0,0) band has a rotational temperature of 252 +- 23 K corresponding to an altitude of 110 +- 3 km, where nearly half of the shuttle's main engine water vapor exhaust is released on ascent. The location of the cloud one day after injection into the atmosphere implies that its average velocity is between 26-40 m/s northward. We also report strong evidence of water ice measured simultaneously along the same line of sight, suggesting that water vapor exhaust is redistributed by condensation and sedimentation.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 21, 2002
Accession Number
ADA530717

Entities

People

  • Christoph R Englert
  • Michael H. Stevens

Organizations

  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Atmospheric Composition
  • Data Analysis
  • Engines
  • Exhaust Gases
  • Geographic Regions
  • High Resolution
  • Line Of Sight
  • Measurement
  • Mesosphere
  • Observation
  • Rocket Engines
  • Scattering
  • Space Shuttles
  • Space Systems
  • United States
  • Vehicles
  • Water Vapor

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Molecular Photonics/Laser Physics
  • Oceanography.
  • Space/Atmospheric Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster