Post AXqPDrd1AvFijDuZ28 by BonnettsBooks@mastodonbooks.net
 (DIR) More posts by BonnettsBooks@mastodonbooks.net
 (DIR) Post #AXqPDqsvwGOCQILlCa by nasa@social.beachcom.org
       2023-07-19T06:04:37Z
       
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       Chandrayaan-3 Launches to the Moon https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230719.html #APOD
       
 (DIR) Post #AXqPDrd1AvFijDuZ28 by BonnettsBooks@mastodonbooks.net
       2023-07-19T06:21:21Z
       
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       @nasa Does anyone know why the exhaust is yellow?
       
 (DIR) Post #AXqPDs9HEz3aLH0KJc by nanook@friendica.eskimo.com
       2023-07-19T06:49:21Z
       
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       @BonnettsBooks @nasa Good question, since it's an Liquid Oxygen / Liquid Hydrogen rocket, the exhaust should be just water vapor so should be same color as the clouds which it clearly isn't.
       
 (DIR) Post #AXqRnpGFea8xihXQVk by nanook@friendica.eskimo.com
       2023-07-19T07:18:26Z
       
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       @nasa @BonnettsBooks Well now, which fuel it uses seems to depend upon where your information comes from, I found another site that says it is an aluminum fuel with a perchlorate oxidizer, so one site says is liquid fuel another solid fuel.  But a third site while it doesn't specify the fuel does specify that it's a cryogenic engine and you wouldn't use cryogenics for the solid fuel so that goes back to hydrogen and oxygen.  So two of three sites point to LOX, but that isn't consistent with the exhaust plume, so who knows.
       
 (DIR) Post #AXqSo2CjdA5noiYa12 by BonnettsBooks@mastodonbooks.net
       2023-07-19T07:27:12Z
       
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       @nanook @nasa I suppose they may be using a solid fuel? I just find it unusual and am curious about having never seen it before. There are so many factors to consider, from availability of resources to weight/thrust ratios, even exhaust cooling - or it's lack - could play a role. And is it old-fashioned or something new, safer or more dangerous for crew/environment, depending on circumstances...¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯ I guess I'll have to do some digging. Growing up during Apollo, I'm just curious.
       
 (DIR) Post #AXqSo300fxVYHXbvou by nanook@friendica.eskimo.com
       2023-07-19T07:29:02Z
       
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       @BonnettsBooks @nasa I would think liquid fuel would make more sense going to the moon because you have to be able to re-light the rocket for orbital insertion, but perhaps it's a hybrid with a sold first stage and liquid second and/or third stage?
       
 (DIR) Post #AXrVyg9CTLrhc9d9Oq by BonnettsBooks@mastodonbooks.net
       2023-07-19T07:48:46Z
       
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       @nanook @nasa You know, I have a sense that solid fuels could weigh less than liquid and a solid launch with liquid maneuvering and return could make a lot of sense.
       
 (DIR) Post #AXrVyhFyLesP3Ro4au by nanook@friendica.eskimo.com
       2023-07-19T19:40:00Z
       
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       @BonnettsBooks @nasa Actually LOX is the highest ISP fuel known, but solid fuel engines are far less complex.  Even though they are lower ISP this is less of a disadvantage for the 1st stage since you're going to discard them once used up.