5 ms·

And a lot of pollution.

wlesieutre 8y ago
As with everything else, depends on where the energy came from. The rocket itself is burning liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, so the only exhaust is steam. You have to take a step back and look at the energy supplied to split water into hydrogen and oxygen and to cool and store it. Conceivably that could be done from renewable sources if customers are willing to pay for it.
- 24gttghh 8y ago
  What orbital rockets today are launching a 1st stage with liquid oxygen and hydrogen? I thought they are mostly used for upper stages where they are required for combustion in space. For example, the Falcon 9 uses LOX and refined kerosene in 1st/2nd stages. and the to-be New Glenn burns methane/LOX for it's 1st stage. It matters less what the 2nd/3rd/etc stages use as they are basically out in space at that point. Admittedly, the New Shepard booster from the article uses LOX/LH2, but, it's sub-orbital.
  - wlesieutre 8y ago
    I was referring to the suborbital New Shepherd there. Delta IV and Delta IV Heavy are LOX/LH2 orbital rockets, though the light version of that is being phased out.
  - outworlder 8y ago
    > I thought they are mostly used for upper stages where they are required for combustion in space. Why are they required for combustion in space?
    - 24gttghh 8y ago
      Well in my layman's understanding, rockets generally need a fuel and some kind of oxidizer since there is no free oxygen in space. Hence, the LOX?
Obi_Juan_Kenobi 8y ago
Get that deadly dihydrogen monoxide out of my atmosphere!
- noonespecial 8y ago
  Its true. I fell out of a boat once and got some of it in my lungs. You do not want to play around with that stuff. Even a little bit in the wrong place is very dangerous... Seems like there's something profound to say about pollution in that joke somewhere.
- gooseus 8y ago
  Well, let's not forget that water vapor is a greenhouse gas[0] though not quite as serious as others since it will condense out in clouds and increase albedo. [0] https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/monitoring-references/faq/greenhouse-gases.php?section=watervapor https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/monitoring-references/faq/greenhou...
  - dnautics 8y ago
    what's the atmospheric half life of high altitude water vapor?

As with everything else, depends on where the energy came from. The rocket itself is burning liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, so the only exhaust is steam. You have to take a step back and look at the energy supplied to split water into hydrogen and oxygen and to cool and store it. Conceivably that could be done from renewable sources if customers are willing to pay for it.

24gttghh 8y ago
What orbital rockets today are launching a 1st stage with liquid oxygen and hydrogen? I thought they are mostly used for upper stages where they are required for combustion in space. For example, the Falcon 9 uses LOX and refined kerosene in 1st/2nd stages. and the to-be New Glenn burns methane/LOX for it's 1st stage. It matters less what the 2nd/3rd/etc stages use as they are basically out in space at that point. Admittedly, the New Shepard booster from the article uses LOX/LH2, but, it's sub-orbital.
- wlesieutre 8y ago
  I was referring to the suborbital New Shepherd there. Delta IV and Delta IV Heavy are LOX/LH2 orbital rockets, though the light version of that is being phased out.
- outworlder 8y ago
  > I thought they are mostly used for upper stages where they are required for combustion in space. Why are they required for combustion in space?
  - 24gttghh 8y ago
    Well in my layman's understanding, rockets generally need a fuel and some kind of oxidizer since there is no free oxygen in space. Hence, the LOX?

Obi_Juan_Kenobi 8y ago

Get that deadly dihydrogen monoxide out of my atmosphere!

noonespecial 8y ago
Its true. I fell out of a boat once and got some of it in my lungs. You do not want to play around with that stuff. Even a little bit in the wrong place is very dangerous... Seems like there's something profound to say about pollution in that joke somewhere.
gooseus 8y ago
Well, let's not forget that water vapor is a greenhouse gas[0] though not quite as serious as others since it will condense out in clouds and increase albedo. [0] https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/monitoring-references/faq/greenhouse-gases.php?section=watervapor https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/monitoring-references/faq/greenhou...
- dnautics 8y ago
  what's the atmospheric half life of high altitude water vapor?