Ion Thrusters – What They Are And How They Work
With so much focus on rocket fuels like hydrogen and new alternatives like liquid methane, it is hard to believe that an advanced form of propulsion known as ion thrusters…
The Types Of Orbits Satellites And Spacecraft Follow Around Celestial Bodies
Most satellites and spacecraft, whether they are orbiting Earth at altitudes of a few hundred miles or exploring Saturn 886 million miles away, will always enter a specific type of…
Why And How Rocket Fuel Tanks Are Pressurized
In 2016, a Falcon 9 rocket unexpectedly exploded on the launchpad due to a breach in the helium system used to pressurize the propellant tanks, which raised the question of…
Why Rockets Perform An Engine Chill Before Launch
When watching a rocket launch, you may have heard the callout “Engine chill has started,” which forms part of a long list of prelaunch procedures during an orbital launch event….
Hypergolic Rocket Fuel – A Double-Edged Sword
When discussing liquid rocket propellants, one often thinks of RP-1, liquid hydrogen, or methane. But another liquid propellant known as hypergolic fuel has been used for decades in spaceflight due…
How Rockets Are Reused To Make Spaceflight More Affordable
During the late 20th Century, rockets were largely considered expendable. But since the turn of the Century, as private space launch providers started entering the arena, the importance of cost…
Why Orbital Rockets Are White
Most orbital rockets, from the Saturn V carrying astronauts to the Moon in the 1960s to a modern Falcon 9 or Ariane 5 launch vehicle, are primarily covered in white….
How Cryogenic Fuels Are Kept Cold Before And During A Rocket Launch
Most liquid rocket propellants like hydrogen, methane & liquid oxygen are cryogenic, meaning they have to be stored at subzero temperatures to remain in a liquid state. This poses a…
The Purpose Of A Flame Trench At A Rocket Launch Site
Frequent viewers of orbital rocket launches may have noticed that the hot exhaust plumes generated by the launch vehicle on the launchpad expand horizontally before billowing up into the air….
Rocket Payload Fairings – What They Are And How They Work
Regular viewers of rocket launches streamed online by companies like SpaceX and Rocket Lab may have seen two objects falling away from the rocket shortly after second-stage ignition. They are…