UV and FUV vehicle glows in low Earth orbit

Analysis of data from the Experimental Investigation of Spacecraft Glow (EISG) and laboratory experiments associated with that experiment have provide a number of emission spectra from surface recombination of N and O. These constituents can be scavenged from the atmosphere. In addition, Monomethyl hydrazine thruster effluents interacting with the atmosphere are observed to produce large amounts of N and NO, likely through O collisions with exhaust products of vibrationally enhanced molecular nitrogen. These products produce both gas phase and surface (heterogeneous) reactions resulting in UV and FUV glows. The associated emissions arising from excited NO and other molecules have been observed and are reported.