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
Satellites and spacecraft, whether orbiting Earth at altitudes of a few hundred miles or exploring Saturn 886 million miles away, always establish a specific orbit around a celestial body after…
Why And How Rocket Fuel Tanks Are Pressurized
In 2016, a Falcon 9 rocket unexpectedly exploded on the launchpad due to a failure in the helium system used to pressurize the propellant tanks. This may raise the question…
Why Rockets Perform An Engine Chill Before Launch
If you have ever watched a live rocket launch, you may have heard the callout “Engine chill has started,” which forms a crucial part of the prelaunch sequence or “checklist.”…
Hypergolic Rocket Fuel – A Double-Edged Sword
When rocket fuels are discussed, one typically thinks of RP-1, liquid hydrogen, or methane. Another liquid propellant, known as hypergolic fuel, has also been used for decades in spaceflight due…
How Rockets Are Reused To Make Spaceflight More Affordable
In the late 20th Century, rockets were largely considered expendable. However, as private space launch providers started entering the industry at the start of this Century, the importance of reusability…
Why Most Orbital Rockets Are White
Most orbital rockets, from the Saturn V carrying astronauts to the Lunar surface in the 1960s to a modern Falcon 9 or Ariane 5, are primarily covered in white. This…
How Cryogenic Fuels Are Kept Cold Before And During An Orbital Rocket Launch
The vast majority of liquid rocket propellants, like hydrogen, methane, and liquid oxygen, are cryogenic since they are stored at subzero temperatures to stay in a liquid form. It poses…
The Purpose Of A Flame Trench At A Rocket Launch Site
Regular viewers of rocket launches will have noticed the white “smoke” plumes produced by a rocket’s boosters expanding horizontally away from the launchpad before billowing up. This is a result…
Payload Fairings – What They Are And Their Purpose On Orbital Rockets
Regular viewers of rocket launches streamed online by companies like SpaceX and ULA might have seen two objects falling away from the rocket shortly after second-stage ignition. These are known…