The Pentagon wants to shoot down that failing spysat. Do we really want to encourage more ASAT activity after last year's disastrous Chinese test? It wouldn't be hard to ruin LEO for decades. Argh.
It's a common propellant. (Used on the Shuttle, for instance.) While poisonous, it's a very effective monopropellant, igniting absolutely reliably given a catalyst. No igniter needed. Popular for orbital adjustments, where the extra weight of the low specific impulse is worth it for the simplicity and reliability.
Then I may not understand what you mean by a "catalyst".
Are you saying that it burns in contact with the air? And if that's what you're saying, then how is it likely to become a poisonous cloud? Wouldn't it just burn up as it floats down?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
no subject
Are you saying that it burns in contact with the air? And if that's what you're saying, then how is it likely to become a poisonous cloud? Wouldn't it just burn up as it floats down?