Questions tagged [cryogenics]
Questions regarding use, design, storage, consumption, or other considerations of materials, propellants, systems, or biological samples stored and/or used under very low temperatures, often under larger than ambient pressure.
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Has solidifying liquid propellant been considered for space exploration?
Liquid hydrogen is $0.071 g/cm^3$
Solid hydrogen is $0.086 g/cm^3$
Since denser fuel is desirable, has solid hydrogen been considered for use in space exploration?
I suspect the very low ...
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Autogenous pressurization with sub-cooled propellant
In his IAC 2016 talk, Elon Musk said (at 28m 4s in the video) that the ITS booster tanks would use autogenous pressurization. This means there is gaseous oxygen resp. methane in the tank. To stay ...
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Is the "cryogenic helium" system in recent discussions actually LHe for cryopumping?
I am wondering if the "cryogenic helium" system discussed in articles about the 1-Sept-2016 SpaceX Falcon 9 anomaly (see this answer for a good summary to date) is not actually related to the high ...
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How did the Space Shuttle keep its cryogenic fuel cold?
As I understand it, the Space Shuttle used cryogenic fuel in its main engines and it kept a supply onboard for the duration of its mission for a deorbit burn. Since Space Shuttle missions often lasted ...
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Does the NK-33 engine require subcooled kerosene so cold that it turns to wax?
It was mentioned in this answer and in several other places on the internet that the kerosene fuel used by NK-33 engines needed to be subcooled enough so that it reached the same density as the LOX, ...
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Could IR space telescopes and other very cold devices use Zeeman slowers effectively in the near term?
Infrared telescopes need to be very cold (often below 10 K) to be effective. So do a few other miscellaneous things, including superconductors, if we ever use them in space for e.g. mass drivers or ...
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Are cryo tanks heavier than normal tanks (on a per surface area basis)?
From my related question, it turns out cryo tanks are not double-walled for insulation purposes. So now I will continue along a similar line and ask, aren't cryo tanks heavier than normal tanks on a ...
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How big a weight problem is ice sticking to a rocket?
Cryo tanks are so cold, they tend to condense moisture out of the air, creating ice covering a lot of the rocket.
I've seen many videos where this ice starts shedding at launch, but I still have to ...
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A cryo tank within another cryo tank...is it a sound engineering concept?
Here's the idea: A large spherical LH2 tank is placed inside a spherical LOX tank.
The reason I thought of this is so the inner tank doesn't need to be insulated. It doesn't need to be a double-...
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What cryogenic selective surface materials have high Technology Readiness Level?
NIAC ("NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts") has approved the following research application for 2015 funding:
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/cryogenic-selective-surfaces
Cryogenic Selective ...
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How are cryogenic rocket propellants delivered to the launch pad?
I work at a university that gets LN2/LHe (liquid nitrogen and helium) delivered a couple times a week by a large tanker truck outside my office. It seems to work well enough to deliver a couple tons ...
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If a rocket launch is delayed, what happens to the cryogenics?
On February 8, SpaceX had to scrub a launch due to an Air Force technical problem. What happens to the cryogenic fuels when such a launch is delayed? Are the tanks (LOx for the Falcon 9) drained? Are ...
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How would cryogenics work to keep a pilot alive during long term travel?
How would a cryofreeze work in order to keep the pilot alive long enough to survive an automated travel to some destination?
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What are the droplets/particles falling off rockets at launch?
In this picture from the AsiaSat 6 launch by Falcon 9 on 8th September 2014, the part of the rocket between the fairing and the engine appears to be surrounded by dust, water droplets or debris:
And ...
user3405
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What temperature difference do the injectors in a cryo engine experience?
A quick follow-up to Does ISRO's Cryogenic Upper Stage have restart capability?
What temperature difference do the injectors in a cryo engine experience between the propellant tank, and the ...
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