In article ,
John Pelchat wrote:
Sorry, I was not as clear as I meant to be. I was not talking about
the two verniers on the lower side of the vehicle, but rather the
flame from the base but not the nozzle.

Yep, any flame on the base that isn't one of the three main nozzles is
turbopump exhaust. It comes out as sooty gas, but usually gets ignited
fairly promptly by one of the main plumes, and thereafter is a flame.
(I'm told that there was one Atlas launch where it somehow persistently
failed to ignite, so the Atlas went up with a little smoke trail behind.)
--
MOST launched 30 June; first light, 29 July; 5arcsec | Henry Spencer
pointing, 10 Sept; first science, early Oct; all well. |