[TigersEye]

Near the very end of the video he pans down for just a second and there is a huge break in the contrail. Here are two more shuttle launch videos that show just how fast the contrail can expand and distort even on a dead calm day. They also show how different a contrail from the same vehicle can be on two different days.

Real Sound of Space Shuttle STS-117 Launch, 3 miles

BEST SOUND OF A SHUTTLE LAUNCH! STS-117

Found another shuttle launch video where you can "see" it break the sound barrier if you want to see it. It has no relevance to contrail appearances.

[Rokke]

"Near the very end of the video he pans down for just a second and there is a huge break in the contrail."

If you are talking about the break at 1:40 into the video, that is actually a cloud layer. Not a break. You can see the shuttle fly through it at :42.

The other shuttle videos were filmed at 3 miles or less from the launch point. The audio from the launch is intense. But the spread of the exhaust at ground level is less than a mile wide and barely high enough to cover the launch tower. I'm not sure how far out people who believe a missile was launched off the coast of California believe it was launched, but the spread of the trail starts above the haze layer you've been talking about, and extends for miles to the south of the trail. Nothing at all like the exhaust from the solid rocket boosters and main engines of the largest spacecraft we've launched in decades (if not ever).

And I found the sound barrier break. Very cool.