Xref: utzoo sci.space.shuttle:5956 sci.chem:1625 sci.environment:7718
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!samsung!usc!apple!portal!cup.portal.com!mmm
From: mmm@cup.portal.com (Mark Robert Thorson)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle,sci.chem,sci.environment
Subject: Space Shuttle Destroys Ozone Layer ???
Message-ID: <32493@cup.portal.com>
Date: 6 Aug 90 05:29:47 GMT
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 23

The current issue of Buzzworm, an "environmental journal" has a short article
on page 14 describing the pollution effects of the space shuttle.  Quoting
from vol 2 no 4 (probably one of the last issues of this high-overhead glossy
rag):

"Dr. Michael Prather, a specialist in atmospheric research with NASA's
Goddard Institute for Space Studies, disputes the validity of the Soviet
figures [on space shuttle pollution].  While Prather concedes that the
total amount of chlorine in the solid rocket booster may equal 
187 tons, he estimates the actual amount emitted into the stratosphere
at only about 68 tons per launch.
    He also claims that ozone depletion caused by the shuttle is
relatively insignificant since 12 launches per year for several years
would only increase atmospheric chlorine levels about 0.5 percent,
while industrial and other CFCs are presently causing the stratospheric
chlorine levels to increase 5 percent annually."

Huh?  Could any of these figures possibly be true?  If Space Shuttle
launches might cause 10% or even 1% of the ozone problem, that seems
like a serious cause for concern!  I rather suspect somebody must have
slipped a few digits in reporting this story.  Can somebody please provide
some real numbers on how much the Space Shuttle contributes to the ozone
problem.