Author Topic: Flame around F9 on recent launch  (Read 90 times)

Offline bknight

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Flame around F9 on recent launch
« on: August 07, 2025, 09:17:10 AM »
I was watching a F9 launch today on https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/falcon-9-rocket-launches-amazon-project-kuiper-internet-satellites-spacex-100th-mission-2025
and it appears to my poor eyesight was rising around the side of the rocket up maybe 5-10 feet.  Is this a artifact of the video or some physical aspect?
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Offline Peter B

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Re: Flame around F9 on recent launch
« Reply #1 on: August 07, 2025, 10:19:11 AM »
Do you mean around the 30-50 second mark in the video? If so, it looks to me like its vapour (maybe boiled off liquid oxygen) which is being illuminated by the exhaust flames.

Though that's definitely a non-expert guess, so I'm curious to hear from the experts.
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Offline bknight

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Re: Flame around F9 on recent launch
« Reply #2 on: August 07, 2025, 08:22:12 PM »
Do you mean around the 30-50 second mark in the video? If so, it looks to me like its vapour (maybe boiled off liquid oxygen) which is being illuminated by the exhaust flames.

Though that's definitely a non-expert guess, so I'm curious to hear from the experts.
It could be oxygen but it looks to me like it is burning and perhaps illuminated also.
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Offline Obviousman

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Re: Flame around F9 on recent launch
« Reply #3 on: Today at 12:07:39 AM »
Wasn't this a similar thing with the Delta IV? On launch a significant lick of flames would climb up the vehicle however this was normal?