[Mr. Silverback]

The flicker is because the light that is reflected is being affected by passing theorugh contrail and or engine exhaust. I've seen a similar effect in flight during Air Force missions, and even on the grounsd at sunset and dawn.

But I'll put that aside and ask: Did you follow the link? The one leading to Contrail Science?

If not, please do. Their evidence is solid.

If so, don't the Warren photos mean we're now talking about an ICBM that is still visible from Long Beach several minutes after its boost phase ends? How is that possible? How could an SLBM designed to launch and reach a target in 10-15 minutes still be visible from Long Beach several minutes after firing?

[papertyger]

How could an SLBM designed to launch and reach a target in 10-15 minutes still be visible from Long Beach several minutes after firing?

By not being designed to specifications you seem to think are immutable.

I recall the Soviets making extensive use of vaccuum tubes in their fighter aircraft well oast the 1970s...

[MontaniSemperLiberi]

Yes I followed the link and I think it does look kind of like a contrail. I can’t say though that a contrail would expand in the way this plume does. A contrail was my first thought but the shape, near the rocket, looks more like a slightly over expanded supersonic fluid jet designed to reach maximum thrust at a lower atmospheric pressure, i.e. not a gas turbine jet, certainly not one with a high bypass ratio typical of a commercial aircraft where the Kelvin-Helmholtz vortexes appear as the jet decelerates.

My suspicions were heightened when I say the color changes in the immediate exhaust. They are not from water vapor or Jet A soot.