how much pollution comes fom a shuttle launch?

Question

just seen a picture of a shuttle launch and its huge exhaust and wondered what it was made of and where it goes and should we be worried

Answer 1

Pollution caused by space launches:

The magnitude of space launch combustion products can be illustrated by a
comparison of the amount of fuel consumed by a space shuttle launch with
the amount of gasoline consumed in the United States in one day:

Space shuttle fuel consumed in a launch: 3.5 million pounds
Gasoline consumed in one day in the US - 2,500 million pounds
In other words, one space shuttle launch is equivalent to about two minutes
of gasoline consumption in the United States.

There were 78 space launches worldwide in 1999, almost all much smaller
than the space shuttle.

The pollution caused by space launches depends not only on the total
quantity of the fuels used, but on their chemical composition..

Propellants used for powering space launches are of four types:

1. Solid - Propellants that are a mixture of solid chemicals - a fuel and
an oxidizer - that burn at a rapid rate when ignited, expelling hot gasses
from a nozzle to achieve thrust. Fireworks are an example of the use of
this kind of propellant. The combustion products depend on the chemicals
used. The space shuttle uses potassium perchlorate (KClO4) and powdered
aluminum. The combustion products are potassium chloride and aluminum
oxide

2. Cryogenic - In space propellants, this refers to liquid hydrogen (LH)
and liquid oxygen (LOX), which burn when mixed and ignited. LOX is a liquid
below -298 degrees F and LH is a liquid below -423 degrees F. They are
stored in the space vehicle in insulated tanks and pumped into the rocket
engines where they burn to expel hot gases. The LOX/LH combination is by
far the most efficient in the amount of thrust per pound of fuel. The
combustion product is water vapor.

3. Petroleum - Instead of liquid hydrogen, a purified kerosene is used as
the fuel and is mixed with liquid oxygen and burned in the engine. The
combustion products are carbon dioxide and water vapor. This fuel system is
usually used in launches of smaller rockets where the complications of
handling liquid hydrogen are not justified.

4. Hypergolic - fuels and oxidants that ignite on contact without an
ignition source. These are generally used for maneuvering after the soak
vehicle has reached orbit. The combustion products depend on the chemicals
used. The space shuttle uses monomethyl hydrazine (N2CH6) and nitrogen
tetroxide (N2O4). The combustion products are nitrogen, water vapor and
carbon dioxide.

The pollution effects of the four types of fuels are:

Solid fuel - The major combustion products of potassium chloride and
aluminum oxide and relatively innocuous. Potassium chloride is used as a
fertilizer and has medicinal uses. Aluminum oxide is an unreactive
compound and is used as an abrasive.

Cryogenic - The only combustion product of LH/LOX is water.

Petroleum - The combustion products of water and carbon dioxide are
harmless except of any possible contribution of carbon dioxide to global
warming, but the carbon dioxide from this source would be infinitesimal
compared to the energy produced by burning coal and petroleum

Hypergolic - The combustion products of this kind of fuel are not a
pollution problem. In any event this fuel is used only in small quantities
for maneuvering.

The space shuttle uses about 2.3 million pounds of solid propellant in the
launch boosters and about 1.2 million pounds of LH/LOX in the main engines.
A relatively small amount of hypergolic fuel is used for controlling the
shuttle once in orbit. Kerosene/LOX propellant is not used.

With regard to possible effect on the ozone layer, the only combustion
product that would be suspect is the chloride ion of potassium chloride.
Studies have shown that in contrast to organic chlorine (as in banned
refrigerants) inorganic chloride does not persist in the altitudes of the
ozone layer and is not a factor in ozone depletion.

Answer 2

As far as quantities, 3.5 million pounds of fuel is used per space launch. Over 700 TIMES more gasoline is used per day in the United States. These numbers tell how wasteful we Americans are, as well as how dramatic & powerful is the shuttle, but don't include daily coal, natural gas, or oil consumptions. Uninformed people might think the shuttle fuels would be exotic & highly pollution intensive(even very poisonous). However, the solid fuel boosters use potassium perchlorate & powdered aluminum. Combustion products are potassium cloride(a salt used in fertilizers & medicines ) & aluminum oxide, which doesn't react with chemicals in the natural environment. Powerful liquid hydrogen & oxygen in the liquid fuel engines produce water. There is a Cloride ion produced from the perchlorate combustion. But the ion has far less effect on ozone than the cloroflorocarbons that have been banned in the past. Probably, the largest concern from pollution from shuttle launches is the immediate great increase in acid rain in the local lakes. However, the birds, fish & other animals in the animal reserve immediately around shuttle operations do not have continuing effects & make the environs their home. The great corruptions poured out by the space shuttle have fewer effects than earlier launch vehicles. But further studies need to be implemented due to the great localised quantities of space exhausts.

Much of this information was compiled by George Adams, Chemical Engineering Graduate.

Answer 3

I don't know about atmospheric pollution but as for noise pollution...the noise generated by a shuttle launching is enough to vapourise water and create a rain cloud. So when the shuttle launches, it'll rain in a city nearby some short time after.

Answer 4

yep. it's like a whole load of aeroplanes going around the world all at the same time in the same area. as for where it goes, it gets dispersed by the wind,rain, and all that, and we should be worrying about the damage of such amounts of pollution. (of course, most shuttle launches are in america, and a lot of america still doesn't believe that global warming is happening). but, in general answer to your question. Lots.

Answer 5

very little indeed, the shuttle doesnt use oil based fuels it uses liquid hydrogen/oxygen so the exhaust is basically water.....a cloud,

Answer 6

I think very little beause the fuel has to burn very efficiently.. What you are seeing is for the most part water vapor. they can't run those things on gasoline, not even high octane stuff!!!!

Answer 7

Mostly water.