The gas venting underneath the engines of the shuttle before takeoff?

Question

What's the gas venting underneath the engines of the shuttle before takeoff (right now)? What is its purpose?

Answer 1

pilot fuel flow to enable tank pressure stabilization while its full of propellant.

Answer 2

The gas is steam.They use a wide tank of water underneath the tanks.this is so that the platform wont melt due to the intense heat emitted at blastoff...tom science

Answer 3

I think it's just release of O2 boiloff.



Well, looking at the footage, its obviously comming out of conduits (pipes) of some sort next to the SSMEs. And it's obviously cold enough to condense atmospheric water vapor.

Don't know enough to confirm what none2perty said...but it seems reasonable. My answer doesn't really make sense after thinking about it - why vent through the orbiter?

Answer 4

It's a mix of several gases. Water vapor+o2+hydrogen+ice flakes from the cold engines

Answer 5

it fairly is performed so as that the passengers' eyes get used to the darkish so as that for the time of case of emergency their eyes would be waiting for the darkness. reason as you comprehend once you're in a room with the lighting fixtures grew to become on and after some moments you turn it off, you grow to be blind for some seconds and vice-versa. If there's a crash and the passengers are non everlasting blind, there'll be greater injured human beings or maybe worse dying. reason for the time of a crash each 2nd is significant and additionally you will't watch for your eyes to normalise. desire this permits.

Answer 6

That is water vapor condensing because of the extremely cold fuel in the tank.

Answer 7

I think its an auxiluary power unit exhaust.