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From: dietz@SLB-DOLL.CSNET (Paul Dietz)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Trans-atmospheric vehicle
Message-ID: <8512301430.AA09276@s1-b.arpa>
Date: Mon, 30-Dec-85 08:17:48 EST
Article-I.D.: s1-b.8512301430.AA09276
Posted: Mon Dec 30 08:17:48 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 31-Dec-85 01:01:59 EST
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Organization: The ARPA Internet
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It should be pointed out that while a fair-sized thunderstorm
has more energy than a shuttle launch, a scramjet powered launcher
will be doing most of its combustion in the upper atmosphere, right
in the ozone layer.  The thunderstorm's NOx gets produced
in the troposphere and washes out quickly, so the comparison is not
entirely fair.

			Paul Dietz