TIL - Most of the smoke billowing up from a space shuttle launch is not exhaust. It is water vapor from the pool of water under the shuttle designed to absorb the acoustic shock waves that could otherwise tear the shuttle apart.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Launcher_Platform#Space_Shuttle



Submitted December 31, 2014 at 09:15PM by Beezlee http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/2qxckk/til_most_of_the_smoke_billowing_up_from_a_space/