All Questions
8
questions
11
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Why are nitric acid and hydrogen combinations not used as rocket fuel?
I was recently doing a chemistry assignment about bond energy when I noticed the incredibly low bond energy of nitric acid. Given the high bond energy of a nitrogen triple-bond, this set me wondering ...
8
votes
1
answer
647
views
Silane as a rocket fuel
At about 6:55 into the video Why Moon Mining Will DEFINITELY Be A Thing it is stated that lunar silica (SiO2) could be turned into silane (SiH4), which is the silicon analogue of methane. It also ...
- 13.1k
1
vote
0
answers
439
views
Can Chemical Engineer work on something related to space?
I am an undergraduate student (scientific section) living in Qatar. I have a big interest in astronomy and astrophysics and have participated in the IOAA (International Olympiad on Astronomy and ...
- 11
6
votes
1
answer
12k
views
Can I make my own RP1? [closed]
Is it possible for me to buy kerosene from a local store and then try to refine it to the extent where it would be considered RP1. If so how would I do it? For those who are wondering me and a group ...
- 167
2
votes
1
answer
351
views
What proportion of a rockets fuel remains unburnt?
Presumably liquid rocket combustion is never 100% efficient, so what proportion of fuel does typically remain unburnt, venting into the atmosphere, and does this vary for different rocket designs and ...
12
votes
5
answers
2k
views
What limits burning speed of solid propellant?
SRBs and missiles use grain to regulate thrust over time, as only exposed surface of the propellant burns.
But what causes propellant to burn only on the surface, and regulates the speed at which the ...
- 55.1k
10
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What is required to produce rocket quality methane fuel and oxygen from Mars' atmosphere?
Turning $\require{mhchem}\ce{CO2}$ and some hydrogen into $\ce{O2}$ and $\ce{CH4}$ seems pretty straightforward and has been known since early chemistry in the 19th century. But what about the quality,...
- 27k
6
votes
2
answers
6k
views
What does "self-pressurizing" mean in regards to propellant tanks?
I've come across this term a few times. IIRC, liquid hydrogen is "self-pressurizing", but other fuels are not. Apparently, if a propellant is self-pressurizing, we do not need to build any complex ...
- 4,596