Re: Hydrazine and the Upper Atmoshpere

Damon Hill (damon1SIX1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx) writes:
Hydrazine (in this case, probably monomethyhydrazine) is a
nitrogen/hydrogen compound; catalytically decomposed it breaks down into
ammonia, nitrogen and hydrogen (and carbon dioxide with monomethyl). It
will burn with the oxygen in the air, probably yielding nitrogen and
water vapor, and not much else.

Nitpick 1: To get CO2 from monomethyl hydrazine, you need an
oxidiserr--combustion, not decomposition.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrazine (see section on rocket fuel)

Considering the rather small amount of material involved, a dispersal in
orbit probably doesn't require an environmental impact statement,
whereas a ground impact could. Conclusion: smash it while it's still
way up there. Result: no problem.

Nitpick 2: I suspect there would be an effect on the ozone layer. I also
suspect it would be local and short-lived.

--John Park
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