When a space shuttle re-enters the atmosphere, its temperature rises and it can heat the surrounding air to 1260oC. At that temperature some endothermic reactions take place that at lower temperatures are not spontaneous under standard conditions (pure substances, each at 1 bar). Estimate the temperatures at which the following stratospheric reactions become spontaneous under standard conditions. Which ones could occur during re-entry of the space shuttle?
a) The formation of nitrogen monoxide from nitrogen and oxygen
b) the formation of ozone from molecular oxygen