AIAA - American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Scope
Nitrogen tetroxide (NTO) is a corrosive@ strongly oxidizing liquid compound used chiefly in aerospace propulsion and power systems. It is currently used in the Space Shuttle as an oxidizer for the Orbital Maneuvering System and Reaction Control System. Although NTO is immensely useful in aerospace applications@ it has drawbacks. For example@ NTO is hypergolic with many materials; liquid and vapor NTO are corrosive and highly toxic. The users and designers of NTO systems must be aware of these hazards and safeguard against them. The goal of this document is to summarize the existing hazards data into one document. The subjects addressed in this document are fire@ explosion@ compatibility hazards@ and overall safety considerations.