# Whats that "stuff" that falls off the shuttle during launch

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-stuff-that-falls-off-the-shuttle-during-launch/452813>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 13, 2008, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-stuff-that-falls-off-the-shuttle-during-launch/452813 "2008-06-13T15:33:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-stuff-that-falls-off-the-shuttle-during-launch/452813/1 "2008-06-13T15:33:55Z")

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I saw it in a of archive footage of stuff falling off when its about to take off. I saw it in the Apollo missions too. I always assumed it was paint chips because of the vibrations that are occuring. Is this correct?

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**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-stuff-that-falls-off-the-shuttle-during-launch/452813/2 "2008-06-13T15:35:33Z")

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Ice. Caused by the cryogenic fuels.  
Killer of Shuttles.

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**Author:** ![The\_Them](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/898d66/32.png) [@The\_Them](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Them)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2008, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-stuff-that-falls-off-the-shuttle-during-launch/452813/3 "2008-06-13T20:17:20Z")

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What he said. In more detail, these huge tanks of liquefied gas are set up in the Florida humidity, so some frozen condensate can be expected. This was used as a plot device in _Stowaway to the Moon_, to explain a weight discrepancy in the about-to-launch Saturn 5.

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**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2008, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-stuff-that-falls-off-the-shuttle-during-launch/452813/4 "2008-06-14T00:28:10Z")

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Was that the primary buffer panel?

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2008, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-stuff-that-falls-off-the-shuttle-during-launch/452813/5 "2008-06-14T00:32:21Z")

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[QUOTE=beowulff]  
Killer of Shuttles.  
[/QUOTE]

Foam did in the last one.

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**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2008, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-stuff-that-falls-off-the-shuttle-during-launch/452813/6 "2008-06-14T00:44:50Z")

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[QUOTE=Q.E.D.]  
Foam did in the last one.  
[/QUOTE]

My understanding is that one of the theories behind the foam failure is that ice may have formed behind it:

> [@](#):
>
> …But Thompson added: “But usually ice under the [foam] insulation was our principal concern – where you would get a crack in the insulation, you had cryopumping under there, you’d get ice formed up under it, and a chunk of ice and insulation come off”

From [here.](http://www.spacedaily.com/news/shuttle-03p1.html)