[AR] Re: Liquid Hydrogen Nose Cones (Re: EXOS Sarge 3 launch)
- From: Henry Spencer <hspencer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Arocket List <arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 5 Jul 2019 23:06:20 -0400 (EDT)
On Fri, 5 Jul 2019, Paul Mueller wrote:
I haven't worked with LH2 since the mid-80s so I'm pretty far out of the
loop. It could make a nice big bang but otherwise is pretty hard to see
when it burns, especially in daylight. Don't know if the Apollo-era NASA
guy I used to work with was pulling my leg, but he said they would look
for leaks/fires in the ground equipment by holding a broom out in front
of them!
Hydrogen flames are definitely pretty hard to see in daylight, and what
little there is to see is thought to be the result of impurities (maybe
traces of sodium in particular). The Saturn-era broom story appears in
"Stages to Saturn", the NASA History book on Saturn development (in the
discussion of ground tests of the S-IV and S-IVB); they also used IR video
cameras but those weren't considered foolproof.
Henry
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