Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!rutgers!cmcl2!husc6!m2c!jjmhome!cloud9!cme
From: cme@cloud9.UUCP (Carl Ellison)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Discovery's launch: Am I imagining things?
Summary: two separate plumes/flames here
Message-ID: <1925@cloud9.UUCP>
Date: 1 Oct 88 23:02:37 GMT
References: <1104@cfa237.cfa250.harvard.edu> <4305@cadnetix.COM>
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc., Marlboro, MA
Lines: 18

In article <4305@cadnetix.COM>, beres@cadnetix.COM (Tim Beres) writes:
> ...  As the orbiter rolls, the SRB's exhausts get mixed together
> creating a collision of hot particles.  These collisions give the effect
> of the plume riding up the side of the SRB.  

There are two separate things being observed and discussed here.

A smoke plum right after launch, during the initial roll, seems to be
what's being discussed here.  I didn't see this, but I wasn't looking for it
either.

The flame I saw was from a very long distance telephoto shot, just
before SRB separation.

I sure wish NASA would present a full explanation for both of these
so we could stop speculating via USENET and get back to watching TV.

--Carl