Proceedings of the Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle Tropospheric Effects Workshop

A workshop on Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (HLLV) tropospheric effects was held in Chicago, Illinois, on September 12, 13, and 14, 1978. Briefings were conducted on the latest HLLV configurations, launch schedules, and proposed fuels. The geographical, environmental, and ecological background of three proposed launch sites were presented in brief. The sites discussed were launch pads near the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), a site in the southwestern United States near Animus, New Mexico, and an ocean site just north of the equator off the coast of Ecuador. A review of past efforts in atmospheric dynamics modeling, source term prediction, atmospheric effects, cloud rise modeling, and rainout/washout effects for the space shuttle tropospheric effects indicated that much of the progress made in these areas has direct applicability to the HLLV. A list of specific recommendations for short and long term research to investigate, understand, and possibly mitigate the HLLV environmental impacts was developed.