Launch of the Orion

[MAKO69]

http://youtu.be/J92MxvIANEQ

[B52STRATO]

Damn, I put my leave on yesterday afternoon for some HOLD!HOLD!HOLD!, and today it was impossible to admire her in live. But now seeing this magnificent sight it doesn't matter anymore.

[+Gepard]

I saw the full NASA video on YouTube. A rocket launch is always impressive. Was a really good show.

Here is a screenshot of the NASA video.

 

I have a question. There is a area, which i have marked witha red square. In this area you see something burning. On screenshot is looks like smoke, but in video you see clearly fire.

Does someone know, what there is burning?

 

 

Here the link to the official NASA video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEuOpxOrA_0

Edited December 6, 2014 by Gepard

[JediMaster]

They're burning off the excess propellant. The time between fueling and launch is usually long enough for quite a bit of the propellant to boil off. Instead of leaving it in the tanks where the pressure and volatility could get too dangerous, the excess is bled off and burned a safe distance away.

 

The DIV itself jets a lot of excess propellant on ignition which burns off all around the vehicle. They've mitigated it somewhat in recent years, but even here as you can see at the :25 mark in the first video there's a lot as flames go most of the way up. The DIV inaugural flight it almost looked like it was going to burn up on the pad it was so bright.