Posted on 09/17/2023 2:11:53 PM PDT by Paul R.
During the launch of the Starlink 6-7 mission, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket created a donut-shaped ring as it passed through maximum aerodynamic pressure. Lifted off from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on July 28, 2023 at 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 UTC).
That was way cool. Did it have something to do with the rocket throttling down as it reached max Q then bringing the power back up again as it passed that zone, or was it an effect of the maximum aerodynamic pressure itself?
Shock wave due to supersonic transition. Very nice.
See post #3. This effect is sometimes seen with jets or missiles. Lots of YouTube vids.
Thanks!
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