MadSci Network: Engineering
Query:

Re: How is rocket feul made?

Date: Mon Nov 23 09:36:47 2015
Posted By: Fred M. Niell, III, Senior Electrical Engineer
Area of science: Engineering
ID: 1446680044.Eg
Message:

Hi Alex,
Rocket fuel is generally one of three types, solid, liquid, or gas propellant. Rocket propellants typically use a chemical oxidizer, and something to oxidize, and in the case of a solid propellant, a binder to keep it all together.
An example of a solid booster rockets is the white re-usable rockets strapped onto the sides of the large orange liquid fuel tank on the space shuttle program. The liquid fuel tank on the space shuttle held liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, which when mixed, ignited instantly and formed water and heat for another engine on the space shuttle. Gas propellants are relatively uncommon since they don't have much "kick" for their stored mass.
Lots of information is available online about different types of rocket propellants. A good place to start might be researching Robert Goddard, and maybe looking up some of the following links:
https://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Rocket_candy
http://www.estesrock ets.com/rockets/engines
https://www.apogeero ckets.com/Rocket_Motors
https://en.wikip edia.org/wiki/Robert_H._Goddard


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