FUEL DUMPS AS AN OPTICAL OBSCURANT

THE VENTING OF ROCKET FUEL (OR OTHER SUITABLE LIQUIDS) IS PROPOSED AS A TECHNIQUE FOR OPTICAL OBSCURATION AT HIGH ALTITUDES. AS A LIQUID IS RELEASED IN SPACE, IT UNDERGOES A FLASH EVAPORATION AND SUBSEQUENT COOLING WHICH RESULTS IN A CLOUD OF VAPOR AND PARTICLES. RADIATION CAN POTENTIALLY RESULT FROM: (1) VIBRATIONALLY EXCITED MOLECULES RESULTING FROM COLLISIONS WITH THE ATMOSPHERE AND CHEMILUMINESCENT REACTIONS, AND (2) SCATTERING OF SOLAR OR EARTHSHINE RADIATION BY PARTICLES. THE PHASE I OBJECTIVE IS TO MODIFY AN EXISTING COMPUTER MODEL DESCRIBING THE HIGH ALTITUDE (150 TO 500 KM) RELEASE OF LIQUIDS TO ALLOW THE PREDICTION OF SPECTRAL, TEMPORAL, AND SPATIAL RADIATION SIGNATURES OF FUEL PUMPS FOR REALISTIC OPERATIONAL SCENARIOS. IN PHASE II, LABORATORY AND FIELD MEASUREMENT PROGRAMS WOULD BE CARRIED OUT AS A MEANS OF MODEL VALIDATION.