Asymmetrical launch configurations?

[VenomousRequiem]

Sorry, I didn't know what prefix to but but... will someone please explain to me how asymmetrical launch configurations work? Like when the Atlas V rolls out to the pad with 1 SRB on one side and 2 on the other? How does it stay... upright during it's ascent?

[Endersmens]

Sorry, I didn't know what prefix to but but... will someone please explain to me how asymmetrical launch configurations work? Like when the Atlas V rolls out to the pad with 1 SRB on one side and 2 on the other? How does it stay... upright during it's ascent?

Angled thrust, or thrust vectoring.

You can see it pretty clearly in this video (even in the thumbnail)

Launch is around 26 seconds, notice how there is one SRB on the left, and the thrust is angled to the left. This compensates for the mass and thrust offset.

[Nibb31]

Just like the Space Shuttle or Buran, it uses thrust vectoring. Gimball the nozzle and point it so that the thrust vector goes through the actual center of mass.

The drawback is that you lose a bit of efficiency through cosine losses.

[Endersmens]

Just like the Space Shuttle or Buran, it uses thrust vectoring. Gimball the nozzle and point it so that the thrust vector goes through the actual center of mass.

The drawback is that you lose a bit of efficiency through cosine losses.

But the losses are little enough that it justifies the cost savings of using one SRB instead of two for that payload.

[VenomousRequiem]

Oh, I don't know why I didn't think that it would vector the trust accordingly.