What is the most powerful fuel for rockets?

Atomic metallic hydrogen
Atomic metallic hydrogen, if metastable at ambient pressure and temperature could be used as the most powerful chemical rocket fuel, as the atoms recombine to form molecular hydrogen.

Can you use hydrogen as rocket fuel?

For decades, liquid hydrogen has served as a powerful rocket fuel, and more recently, aerospace applications of hydrogen have expanded to include both fuel cells and combustion fuel.

Which fuel is the most powerful?

Metallic hydrogen: The most powerful rocket fuel yet to exist.

What fuel do NASA rockets use?

hydrogen gas
NASA’s hydrogen and fuel cell technologies are used for many purposes. NASA has relied upon hydrogen gas as rocket fuel to deliver crew and cargo to space. With the recent focus on human missions to the moon and eventually Mars, hydrogen will continue to be innovatively stored, measured, processed and employed.

What rocket fuel does NASA use?

Why is hydrogen used in rocket fuel?

Why Hydrogen is used in rocket fuel? Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) Rocket Fuel. Liquid hydrogen fuel has many benefits, including its low molecular weight and high energy output when burned together with liquid oxygen. Hydrogen also provides low-density liquid fuel for navigation thrusters in orbit.

What are the components of rocket fuel?

Therefore, rocket fuel can be categorized into solid or liquid fuels. Rocket engines and boosters carry both fuel and an oxidizer. For solid fuel, the components are aluminum and ammonium perchlorate. For liquid fuel, the components are liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.

What is the boiling point of hydrogen in a rocket?

It’s melting point is -259° C or -435°F, and its boiling point is -252°C or -423°F. Hydrogen needs to be stored in extremely cold temperatures to keep it in liquid form. Because of this, a hydrogen rocket needs insulation around tanks, thus increasing rocket weight, production complexity, and cost.

Why doesn’t SpaceX use liquid hydrogen in their rockets?

It’s because liquid Hydrogen needs extreme temperature control, leaks easily, is less dense, thus requires a bigger fuel tank, expensive compared to Methane, not suitable for a reusable rocket and Mars mission, needs advanced metallurgy; hence, it increases rocket complexity and cost. Let’s elaborate. SpaceX has developed the Raptor.