Current Use
Here are some common liquid fuel combinations in use today:
- LOX and kerosene (RP-1). Used for the lower stages of the Soyuz boosters, and the first stage of the U.S. Saturn V, Atlas, and Falcon 9 boosters. Very similar to Robert Goddard's first rocket.
- LOX and liquid hydrogen, used in the stages of the Space Shuttle, Ariane 5, Delta IV and Centaur.
- Nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4) and UDMH or MMH. Used in three first stages of the Russian Proton booster, most Chinese boosters, a number of military, orbital and deep space rockets, as this fuel combination is hypergolic and storable for long periods at reasonable temperatures and pressures.
- hydrazine (N2H4) and Aerozine-50 are also used in deep space missions because they are storable and hypergolic, and can be used as a monopropellant with a catalyst.
- Typical performances of common propellants
| Propellant mix | Vacuum Isp (seconds) | Effective exhaust velocity (m/s) |
|---|---|---|
| liquid oxygen/ liquid hydrogen |
455 | 4462 |
| liquid oxygen/ kerosene (RP-1) |
358 | 3510 |
| nitrogen tetroxide/ hydrazine |
344 | 3369 |
Read more about this topic: Liquid Rocket Propellants
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