3 ms·
I am no expert on these things but I think the starship has no tanks or system for the different, hypergolic fuels used for the superdraco and similar type of t
by walrus01 6y ago
I am no expert on these things but I think the starship has no tanks or system for the different, hypergolic fuels used for the superdraco and similar type of thrusters.
"SuperDraco engines use a storable propellant mixture of monomethylhydrazine fuel and dinitrogen tetroxide oxidizer"
- rbanffy 6y agoHypergolics are very toxic, corrosive and made of the most exquisite molecules of the purest evil. Dealing with them is expensive and complicated and drives cost up. It was one of the reasons why shuttles were so expensive to refly.
- ncmncm 6y agoThe new hypergolic fuel everybody is actively working on switching to is not (especially) toxic or corrosive. And has better specific impulse. Existing Dragons might never be switched over, because flight-qualifying a crewed vehicle over again is expensive. If they build any new Dragons, it would not be surprising if they still use the old fuel. But anything in design today will use the new fuel, because it's enough better.
- CarVac 6y agoAre you thinking of the new viscous liquid monopropellants that replace hydrazine monopropellant, rather than hypergols? Hypergols are always highly reactive, by very nature of being hypergolic.