# Recent Shuttle Launch: Shock Waves in video? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 9, 2010, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-shuttle-launch-shock-waves-in-video/535491 "2010-04-09T03:31:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-shuttle-launch-shock-waves-in-video/535491/1 "2010-04-09T03:31:05Z")
Watching the launch of the Space Shuttle [video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvZH-nhuxgo&feature=player_embedded), I note at about time 1:36 and 1:41 the appearance of shock-waves traversing across the screen perpendicular to the Shuttles direction. Is this indeed the case? The speed the Shuttle was less then a 1000 mph (per the Shuttle Director’s announcement). ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-shuttle-launch-shock-waves-in-video/535491/2 "2010-04-09T03:47:14Z")
Look about 1’25" in on this video: [Shuttle Shockwave in the Clouds at Night](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHSpFwREz18) Shockwaves show up at about the same altitude/speed as in your footage. Day launch of STS-129 shows a nice [shockwave about 30 seconds into flight.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7yt1arHdsU) Your footage likely shows lensing by shockwaves rather than cloud effects. ---
**Author:** ![Ionizer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5daacb/32.png) [@Ionizer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ionizer)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-shuttle-launch-shock-waves-in-video/535491/3 "2010-04-09T10:39:06Z")
At certain speeds/pressures, STS shows ‘shock wave clouds’ as water vapor becomes suddenly visible when the pressure changes around the vehicle’s parts as they are accelerated through the atmosphere. The visibility and appearance of this pressure ‘gradient’ (forget true words) is variable, but is definitely there. How apparent the effect is varies, of course. A bit more of an explanation [here](http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=8547.0) rather than copy/pasting another persons posting (spaceflight forum)… IMO, few pictures convey “hauling ass” so well as when the STS goes through that ‘barrier’ and punches right on through it. Just awesome visually (and worth every effort it takes…gonna miss them ladies! only 3 launches remain now) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2010, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-shuttle-launch-shock-waves-in-video/535491/4 "2010-04-10T00:46:53Z")
[Some neat-o pics of the sound barrier being visibly broken.](http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&source=hp&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=sound+barrier&gbv=2)🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recent-shuttle-launch-shock-waves-in-video/535491/5 "2010-04-10T01:43:12Z")
:dubious: