Why is there so much smoke during space shuttle and rocket launches?

Answer 1

The majority of the white clouds seen during the first few seconds of a shuttle launch is actually steam, not smoke. To dampen the noise from the powerful rocket motors on the shuttle, approximately 400,000 gallons of water are sprayed underneath the exhaust for six seconds before launch and fifteen seconds afterward. When the hot exhaust hits the water it evaporates, making an enormous cloud which will eventually precipitate and turn into rain.Without this sound dampening system, the immense blast of noise from the shuttle launching would likely break windows for miles around the launch site.

Additionally, a fair amount of steam is created by the engines of the shuttle. The external fuel tanks on the vehicle (one large orange tank and two thinner, white tanks known as Solid Rocket Boosters or SRBs) contain various propellants to shoot the shuttle into space. The large external tank contains liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen which is fed to the shuttle's main engines.

Any good science student will know that water consists of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. The combustion of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen creates water in its gaseous form, steam. This steam joins the cloud made by the noise dampening system and is carried away into the atmosphere.

For further information, see a great page about the principles of rocketry by viewing the related links below.

See Related LinksSee the Related Links for "Principles of Rocketry" to the bottom for the answer.

Answer 2

The smoke during space shuttle and rocket launches is a result of the burning rocket fuel creating exhaust gases and water vapor. Additionally, the interaction between the hot gases and cool air can create condensation trails that appear as smoke.