Delta Heavy Launched Today

[roosterr]

Here is the video from this morning of the Delta Heavy Launch at Vandenburg. This is the largest US rocket right now.

Enjoy:

Note to Moderators: I just noticed that I should have created this in another section of the forums, and cant figure out how to move or delete it. Sorry. Feel free to move it out of General Discussion if you must.

Edited August 28, 2013 by roosterr
Trying to move to another forum, or delete

[rottielover]

I watched the stream, cool stuff! Now I'm inspired to "kerbalize" it. Lol

[19spacepug]

I watched the stream, cool stuff! Now I'm inspired to "kerbalize" it. Lol

Me too I have been trying sence I seen the webcast. I am going to try again in a bit.

[roosterr]

Interesting to notice how just before launch the ignition blast cooked the paint on the fuel tanks and it appears as if small fire had started just above the nozzles. Either that is paint judging by the random patterns of flames, or possible fuel leaking out of cracks somewhere. I just find it odd if that was considered "normal".

[Kryten]

The fire above the nozzles is on the heat shield protecting the tankage from the heat radiated by the engines. Them being visibly in flames is indeed routine for Delta IV launches.

[Bunsen]

I think the sporadic little bits of flame at the tail end of the tanks really are normal, but it's not rocket fuel burning there. Those exhaust plumes kick out a huge amount of radiant heat, especially when there's more than one engine involved (each engine kinda shades the tank above it from its own plume, but the neighboring plumes have an unobstructed line of sight). Surfaces exposed to that are often covered with an ablative coating that keeps the underlying structure safely cool by boiling and burning away. The tail end of the Space Shuttle main tank did the same thing.

[Fleb]

It looks like it came straight out of KSP design school. Love it.

[czokletmuss]

It looks like it came straight out of KSP design school. Love it.

Three Mansails and asparagus staging - why would you need more?