<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'><font color="#993300">They've said that their hydrazine was "pure" and free of byproducts from any manufaturing or contamination. What's left after that is exhaust from the catalytic reaction. AFAIK, there is no other material used in the monopropellant system besides hydrazine and the catalytic bed used to produce the somewhat "energetic"
reaction used to power the thrusters.</font> <font color="#0000ff">But, I don't have the specs of Aerojet's thrusters to look at. More's the pity.
</font> <br />Posted by a_lost_packet_</DIV></p><p>That would be interesting because some processes use molten salts???</p><p>Here is something from JPL.</p><p><font color="#993300"><font color="#ff6600"><font color="#993300">Perchlorate is an ion, or charged particle, that consists of an atom of chlorine surrounded by four oxygen atoms. It is an oxidant, that is, it can release oxygen, but it is not a powerful one. Perchlorates are found naturally on Earth at such places as Chile's hyper-arid Atacama Desert. The compounds are quite stable and do not destroy organic material under normal circumstances.</font> </font></font><font color="#000080">Some microorganisms on Earth are fueled by processes that involve perchlorates, and some plants concentrate the substance. Perchlorates are also used in rocket fuel and fireworks. <br /></font></p><p><font color="#000080">
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2008-155</font></p><p><font color="#000080"><font color="#000000">Very interesting - similar but somewhat opposite of nitrogen fixers. If the percholates evidence is not traceable to earth contaminates then this may be what they maybe thinking in the back of their minds - A ego system made out of microorganisms. Organics would have to be in the recipe if that was true. Still the most likely source as stated above is sunlight interaction...for now.</font></font></p><p><font color="#993300">Microorganisms are incredibly diverse and include </font>
<font color="#993300">bacteria</font><font color="#993300">, </font>
<font color="#993300">fungi</font><font color="#993300">, </font>
<font color="#993300">archaea</font><font color="#993300">, and </font>
<font color="#993300">protists</font><font color="#993300">, as well as some microscopic </font>
<font color="#993300">plants</font><font color="#993300"> and </font>
<font color="#993300">animals</font><font color="#993300"> such as </font>
<font color="#993300">plankton</font><font color="#993300">, and popularly-known animals such as the </font>
<font color="#993300">planarian</font><font color="#993300"> and the </font>
<font color="#993300">amoeba</font><font color="#993300">. Many scientists would not include </font>
<font color="#993300">viruses</font><font color="#993300"> and </font>
<font color="#993300">prions</font><font color="#993300">, which are often classified as non-living</font></p><p><font color="#993300">Most microorganisms are single-</font>
<font color="#993300">celled</font><font color="#993300">, or <strong>unicellular</strong>, but some multicellular organisms are microscopic, while some unicellular protists, and bacteria called <em>
Thiomargarita namibiensis</em> are visible to the naked eye. Microorganisms live in all parts of the </font>
<font color="#993300">biosphere</font><font color="#993300"> where there is liquid </font>
<font color="#993300">water</font><font color="#993300">, including </font>
<font color="#993300">hot springs</font><font color="#993300">, on the </font>
<font color="#993300">ocean</font><font color="#993300"> floor, high in the </font>
<font color="#993300">atmosphere</font><font color="#993300"> and deep inside rocks within the Earth's </font>
<font color="#993300">crust</font><font color="#993300">. Microorganisms are critical to nutrient recycling in </font>
<font color="#993300">ecosystems</font><font color="#993300"> as they act as </font>
<font color="#993300">decomposers</font><font color="#ff6600">. </font><font color="#000080">As some microorganisms can </font>
<font color="#000080">fix nitrogen</font><font color="#000080">, they are a vital part of the </font>
<font color="#000080">nitrogen cycle</font><font color="#000080">, and recent studies indicate that airborne microbes may play a role in </font>
<font color="#000080">precipitation</font><font color="#000080"> and </font>
<font color="#000080">weather</font><font color="#000080"><font color="#000080"> </font></font></p><p><font color="#000080">
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microorganisms</font></p><p><font color="#000000">Now to find Perchlorate thriving microoranisms on earth and what they look like nevertheless </font>
<font color="#000000">Thiomargarita namibiensis</font><font color="#000000"> is an interesting bacterium in itself about the size of the object that appears to be moving around in the ice-worm movie I made from the phoenix microscopic imager???</font></p><font color="#000080"><font color="#993300"><u><font color="#810081">
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/microbiology/19337</font></u>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiomargarita_namibiensis</font></font><font color="#000080"> <p> </p></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>