|
Historic rocket powered by rubber fuel
EFL Hybrid ingredients easier to use and less toxic ... But the fuel in SpaceShipOneâs tank is about as exotic as the spacecraftâs design. SpaceShipOne, set to be the first nongovernmental crewed vehicle to reach space, uses a combination of rubber and nitrous oxide â also known as laughing gas â as the powerhouse for test flights and an anticipated suborbital spaceshot set for June 21. "These are all state-of-the-art technologies," Jim Benson, founding chairman and chief executive of SpaceDev, said of SpaceShipOneâs fuel process. "Itâs a very stable and nontoxic system." Based in Poway, Calif., SpaceDev is responsible for refueling SpaceShipOne after each flight as well as providing crucial elements of its hybrid rocket engine, a cross between traditional liquid and solid rocket motors ... A rubbery fuel Rocket propellants come in two parts, fuel and oxidizer, which work together to keep an engine burning. SpaceShipOne burns a material called hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene, or HTPB â a common ingredient in tire rubber â as fuel, with nitrous oxide serving as the oxidizer. According to press statements by Scaled, the combination was chosen for SpaceShipOne after a lengthy study into potential engine systems. The propellant comes together in an 8-foot (2.4-meter) combustion chamber, where the liquid oxidizer is converted into a gas, then ignited by small pyros to start the engine. SpaceShipOne pilots can shut down the vehicleâs engine by closing a valve through which nitrous oxide enters the fuel chamber. And a lusty cheer for these aerospace pioneers. Such skill and engineering prowess is a delight to behold. If ever the old cliché was called for, it is now: ONLY IN AMERICA! Posted by: Zenster 2004-06-21 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=36052 |