Since Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit Earth in 1961, over 600 people have traveled to Space. Yet only three countries are currently capable of human spaceflight with…
Modern orbital rockets are multistage launch vehicles, meaning they require two or more stages to reach orbit, each with its own propulsion system. A rocket interstage forms a crucial part…
Liquid rocket fuels, primarily RP-1, liquid hydrogen, and methane, are often directly compared & debated. However, solid rocket fuel, the oldest form of rocket propellant, remains a crucial part of…
RP-1 has been the propellant of choice for fueling the first stages of orbital rockets for more than half a century. For their upper stages, though, liquid hydrogen is commonly…
For more than half a century, RP-1, hydrogen, solid rocket & hypergolic fuel were the choice propellants for launch providers. In recent years, though, liquid methane has become an attractive…
The Saturn V rockets used during the Apollo missions of the late 60s and 70s carried an astonishing 810 700 liters of RP-1 fuel in their first-stage boosters. But what…
The Saturn V rockets that launched astronauts to the Lunar surface had over three million moving parts constructed from various materials. We take a closer look at the different materials…
The ear-splitting sound an orbital rocket generates during launch is literally deafening, and its vibrations are felt shaking the ground three miles away. This raises the question of exactly how…
The scorching hot flames blasting through a rocket’s nozzles as it launches into Space are synonymous with any orbital rocket launch. A very specific mechanism must be used to initiate…
If you think of a rocket launch, images of Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, will probably come to mind. There are, however, several prominent launch facilities around the world…
