What explains the big clouds coming out of the launchpad when you launch?

[Wizard Kerbal]

I noticed something weird when staging decided to take a day off, and I did a static fire.

Even with no water-based sound supression sustem, HUGE clouds billowed out of the north and south sides of the launchpad!

Now, there were 9 vectors on said spacecraft, but that can’t be it, can it?

[AtomicTech]

38 minutes ago, Wizard Kerbal said:

I noticed something weird when staging decided to take a day off, and I did a static fire.

Even with no water-based sound supression sustem, HUGE clouds billowed out of the north and south sides of the launchpad!

Now, there were 9 vectors on said spacecraft, but that can’t be it, can it?

No waterfall?

If you're using the stock plumes, that happens at the launchpad.

[Wizard Kerbal]

1 hour ago, AtomicTech said:

No waterfall?

If you're using the stock plumes, that happens at the launchpad.

This is a stock game, but WHY do the clouds appear?

[AtomicTech]

24 minutes ago, Wizard Kerbal said:

This is a stock game, but WHY do the clouds appear?

Engines plumes leave a trail of smoke in atmospheres.

[Wizard Kerbal]

Credit to the kerbalX creator, but

Now that I look at it, it is more grey than white. They probably just exaggerated (however you spell that) the engine exhaust.

[OrdinaryKerman]

7 hours ago, Wizard Kerbal said:

Credit to the kerbalX creator, but

Now that I look at it, it is more grey than white. They probably just exaggerated (however you spell that) the engine exhaust.

There's probably an invisible Sound Suppression System (as implied by the presence of the water tower).The cloud also probably contains lots of dust and maybe some loose gravel. That's one explanation I heard once for the similar irl phenomenon.

In game reality that's because the launchpad static contains smoke emitters designed to respond to engine exhaust hitting a specified 'receiving' object.

Edited October 4, 2021 by OrdinaryKerman