4 ms·
Interested to know more about the fuels... when I searched for info about Falcon-9 fueling a week or two ago (having briefly conceived of a semi-idle interest i
by mikro2nd 10y ago
Interested to know more about the fuels... when I searched for info about Falcon-9 fueling a week or two ago (having briefly conceived of a semi-idle interest in rocket propellants) I read it was RP-1 plus oxidiser - so basically "just" high-spec kerosene. That doesn't jibe with supercooling in my mind... Please enlighten us further.
- Retric 10y agoLiquid O2 aka oxygen is a common and cryogenic oxidizer. Loading cold liquid fuels also has benefits like lower volume, but few things stay liquid at cryogenic temperatures. PS: When dealing with rockets oxidizer is also a fuel because they need both it and something to burn.
- DigitalJack 10y agoFor oxygen to be liquid it needs high pressure and low temperature.
- shoegumfoot 10y agoActually, atmospheric pressure is enough, and oxygen boils at a slightly higher temperature than nitrogen.
- DigitalJack 10y agothanks, I should have said "or."
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- Tuna-Fish 10y agoThey chill the fuel and oxidizer to slush, just above their freezing point, to fit more of it into the same volume and save on structure.
- angryspacesheep 10y agoHow many Falcon 9s have been launched using this fueling method?
- TrevorJ 10y agoAt least the last two launches, off the top of my head.
- ygra 10y agoAs far as I know that was one of the defining changes of the Falcon 9 Full-Thrust, which flew first in December 2015 with Orbcomm OG2 M2. So, every Falcon 9 this year, plus one.
- angryspacesheep 10y agoThank you