Liquid Rocket Propellants - Current Use

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


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