Shuttle near-field environmental impacts - Conclusions and observations for launching at other locationsNear field and far field environmental monitoring activities extending from the first launch of the Space Shuttle at the Kennedy Space Center have provided a database from which conclusions can now be drawn for short term, acute effects of launch and, to a lesser degree, long term cumulative effects on the natural environment. Data for the first 15 launches of the Space Shuttle from Kennedy Space Center Pad 39A are analyzed for statistical significance and reduced to graphical presentations of individual and collective disposition isopleths, summarization of observed environmental impacts (e.g., vegetation damage, fish kills), and supporting data from specialized experiments and laboratory analyses. Conclusions are drawn with regard to the near field environment at Pad A, the effects on the lagoonal complex, and the relationships of these data and conclusions to upcoming operations at Complex 39 Pad B where the environment is significantly different. The paper concludes with a subjective evaluation of the likely impacts at Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 6 for the first Shuttle launch next year.
Document ID
19860029672
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Koller, A. M., Jr. (NASA John F. Kennedy Space Center Cocoa Beach, FL, United States)
Knott, W. M. (NASA Kennedy Space Center Cocoa Beach, FL, United States)