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Visible light emission excited by interaction of space shuttle exhaust with the atmosphere
Author(s) -
Murad E.,
Knecht D. J.,
Viereck R. A.,
Pike C. P.,
Kofsky I. L.,
Trowbridge C. A.,
Rall D. L. A.,
Ashley G.,
Twist L.,
Elgin J. B.,
Setayesh A.,
Stair A. T.,
Blaha J. E.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl017i012p02205
Subject(s) - spacecraft , space shuttle , excited state , atmosphere (unit) , environmental science , exhaust gas , physics , atomic physics , radiation , velocity vector , optics , computational physics , meteorology , astronomy , thermodynamics
Ground‐based video photography of firings of Space Shuttle Primary Reaction Control System ( PRCS ) engines show optical emissions extending nearly 4 km from the vehicle after steady state is reached. The total intensity and spatial distribution of these emissions depend on the angle between the spacecraft velocity vector and the engine exhaust axis. Candidate sources for this radiation are reviewed and the conclusion is reached that it is most likely due to vibrationally excited OH, formed by the reaction of fast ambient O atoms and H 2 O molecules in the exhaust.