Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to How are SRV's putting holes in the ozone layer?

You're confusing the solids with the main engines.

"SRB" is the solid rocket booster, and among their exhaust products are chlorine compounds (don't remember which ones.) I don't know how much they affect the ozone layer. I suspect the low number of launches would have a negligible effect. A NASA statement on this is here.

The Shuttle main engines (SSMEs) do, as you say, exhaust only mostly water vapor. I suspect the heat of the exhaust generates a tiny amount of other compounds from the nitrogen and other things in the air during the early part of launch, but nothing significant.

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