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Old January 22nd 11, 09:49 PM posted to sci.space.policy
Brian Thorn[_2_]
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Default Delta 4 Heavy Catches Fire

On Sat, 22 Jan 2011 11:17:05 -0800 (PST), Vincent D DeSimone
wrote:

Did anyone happen to see the recent launch of the Delta 4 Heavy from
Vandenberg on YouTube?


We're talking about it in the "Delta IV Trajectory" thread.

I thought I noticed flames licking up the side
of the rocket shortly after ignition. It looked as if the yellow/
brown insulating material (which looks the same as the one used on the
space shuttle) had caught fire. See:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGUF1...eature=related


It did, but it appears to be limited to the Intertank area (between
the LH2 and LOX tanks of the core.)

Now, I spotted on Spaceflight Now pictures of the launch that clearly
show a major fire taking place. See:

http://spaceflightnow.com/delta/d352/launch/

The flames had burned the material surrounding one of the core
boosters black and the other two were scorched badly. I'm surprised
that none of the news sites are mentioning this at all.


If it failed, they would have. Otherwise, "what doesn't kill you makes
you stronger."

Certainly the
military is not saying anything about it.


It wasn't totally unexpected. This was much worse than expected, but
charring of the core(s) is normal and Delta IV has plenty of
insulation to protect against it. That's just the design philosophy
surrounding ablatively cooled engines.

I don't remember this happening on any other Delta 4 Heavy launch. It
certainly hasn't happened to the shuttle (if the material is the same).


I haven't seen one actually take off on fire like that, but the
impressive ball of fire around the vehicle isn't new and neither is
the charring of the core.

http://media.defenseindustrydaily.co..._Launch_lg.jpg
http://news.cnet.com/8301-19514_3-10274434-239.html

Regardless, as I said in the other thread, ULA has some pad tweaking
to do, and Delta IV must be one helluva robust vehicle to survive
being ON FIRE at liftoff.

Brian