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> fire around the rear flap hinges

I believe it's pretty hard to have a fire at that altitude. You need a leak of both methane and oxygen, and an ignition source.

I wonder if perhaps one of the engines split open and the exhaust wasn't going into the engine bell?



I mean blowing liquid oxygen on something with a hot heat source beside it typically turns things to fuel you wouldn't expect. Like metal.


Good point, must have been an O2 leak oxidizing random stuff.


At atmospheric pressure, yes.

But up at 140km altitude, the pressure is so low that I don't think even pure oxygen would lead to combustion.


There are two huge tanks providing the pressure here.




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