Mercedes Mullins
SpaceX is an aerospace company that manufactures and launches rockets and spacecraft with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets. The company has developed the Falcon 9 rocket, which uses liquid oxygen and a refined form of kerosene called RP-1 as rocket fuel. The cost of filling a Falcon 9 is around $150,000, with the price per kilogram of RP-1 being approximately 70 cents. The Falcon 9 v. 1.1 uses about 147,000 kg of RP-1 and 341,000 kg of liquid oxygen, with the majority being used in the first stage of the rocket's flight. SpaceX is also developing the Starship, which has faced challenges with fuel waste during testing due to the release of methane, a significant contributor to global warming.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Amount of fuel used/wasted by SpaceX | Nearly all of the fuel is used, except for the amount necessary to keep the fuel and oxidizer sumps covered. |
| Fuel for Falcon 9 | A couple of tons of propellant remaining in its tanks after landing. |
| Fuel for Starship | 4500 tons of fuel, with 100-150 tons reaching orbit. |
| Fuel for HLS round trip | 1500 tons (estimated by internet sleuths measuring tank sizes from pictures). |
| Fuel for Merlin 1A | 340 kilonewtons (76,000 lbf) of thrust. |
| Fuel for Merlin 1B | More thrust than Merlin 1A, exact amount unknown. |
| Fuel for Merlin 1C | Regeneratively-cooled nozzle and combustion chamber. |
| Fuel for Merlin 1D | 690 kN (155,000 lbf) of vacuum thrust, 310 s of vacuum specific impulse (Isp), an expansion ratio of 16, and a chamber pressure of 9.7 MPa (1,410 psi). |
| Fuel for Draco engines | Mixture of monomethyl hydrazine fuel and nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer. Each Draco thruster generates 400 newtons (90 lbf) of thrust. |
| Fuel for SuperDraco engines | Storable-propellant hypergolic engines generating 67,000 newtons (15,000 lbf) of thrust. |
| Fuel for Kestrel engines | Used in SpaceX's Falcon 1 launch vehicle second stage, less powerful than SuperDraco engines. |
| Fuel efficiency | SpaceX's fast launch cadence may impact fuel efficiency and increase the risk of anomalies, according to NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel 2024 Annual Report. |
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What You'll Learn
The Rocket Equation: Tsiolkovsky's 1903 formula
The amount of fuel used by SpaceX rockets is not publicly available information. However, it has been estimated that the Starship takes off with around 4500 tons of fuel, of which around 100-150 tons can reach orbit. Additionally, a landed Falcon 9 is estimated to have a couple of tons of propellant remaining in its tanks.
Now, let's delve into the fundamental principle that governs rocket propulsion and the calculation of fuel requirements: The Rocket Equation, also known as the ideal rocket equation, formulated by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky in 1903. This equation is a cornerstone of astrodynamics and rocket science, describing the motion of rockets in relation to their mass and propellant.
The equation itself is expressed as:
> {\displaystyle \Delta v=v_{\text{e}}\ln {\frac {m_{0}}{m_{f}}}=I_{\text{sp}}g_{0}\ln {\frac {m_{0}}{m_{f}}}}
Where:
- Δv represents the change in velocity of the rocket
- Ve is the effective exhaust velocity determined by the rocket motor's design
- M0 is the initial mass of the rocket, including propellant
- Mf is the final mass of the rocket after propellant has been expelled
- Isp is the specific impulse, representing the efficiency of the rocket engine
- G0 is the acceleration due to gravity on Earth
This equation is derived from Newton's laws of motion. It considers a rocket expelling gas mass at a constant mass flow rate (R kg/s) and an exhaust velocity (ve m/s) relative to the rocket. This creates a force (F) propelling the rocket, equal to R × ve. As the rocket expels gas, its mass decreases, and according to Newton's second law, its acceleration at any time t is F divided by its current mass m.
The natural logarithm (ln) in the equation arises from integrating the fundamental force equation F=ma over the mass loss of the rocket. The equation is applicable for constant ve, and more complex forms may be required if ve varies.
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Falcon 9: $150,000 per launch
SpaceX, or Space Exploration Technologies Corp., was founded in 2002 with the goal of revolutionizing space technology and enabling people to live on other planets. The company designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft.
One of SpaceX's rockets, the Falcon 9, is a reusable, two-stage rocket designed and manufactured for the safe transport of people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond. It is the world's first orbital-class reusable rocket. The rocket's reusability allows SpaceX to refly the most expensive parts of the rocket, driving down the cost of space access to $150,000 per launch.
The Falcon 9's first stage incorporates nine Merlin engines and aluminium-lithium alloy tanks containing liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) propellant. The rocket's nine Merlin engines are gradually throttled near the end of the first-stage flight to limit launch vehicle acceleration as the rocket's mass decreases with the burning of fuel. The second stage, powered by a single Merlin Vacuum Engine, delivers Falcon 9's payload to the desired orbit.
The Falcon 9 has been used to launch SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, which can carry up to seven people and/or cargo in its pressurized section. Dragon can also carry cargo in its unpressurized trunk, which can accommodate secondary payloads. The Dragon spacecraft has been used to resupply the International Space Station (ISS).
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Methane flaring: A waste of propellant
SpaceX uses liquid oxygen and a refined kerosene called RP-1 as fuel for its Falcon 9 rocket. The liquid oxygen makes up more than two-thirds of the overall fuel load and is much cheaper than RP-1, costing around 20 cents per kilogram compared to 70 cents per kilogram for RP-1. SpaceX's Starship rocket, on the other hand, uses methane as its primary propellant. Methane is the cheapest form of fossil fuel found on Earth and can also be obtained on Mars, making it a perfect choice for SpaceX's mission to take humans to Mars sustainably.
However, methane flaring, a common practice in the oil and gas industry, has been identified as a significant source of methane emissions and a contributor to climate change. Flaring is the process of burning off methane and other gases at oil and gas wells to prevent their release into the atmosphere. While it is assumed that flares burn off 98% of methane when in operation, recent studies have shown that flares are often unlit or operating at low efficiency, resulting in a much lower effective flaring efficiency rate of around 91%. This means that a significant amount of methane is still being released into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.
SpaceX has recognized the issue of methane flaring and taken steps to reduce waste and emissions. During testing, SpaceX pipes excess methane into a recondenser, which cools it down and turns it back into a liquid that can be stored and used again. This process helps to reduce the waste of propellant and also minimizes the release of methane into the atmosphere, contributing to SpaceX's goal of making rocket travel more sustainable.
While SpaceX has made strides in reducing methane waste and emissions, the issue of methane flaring is a global concern. In 2015, the World Bank and the UN launched the Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 (ZRF) initiative, committing governments and oil companies to end routine gas flaring as soon as possible, preferably by 2030. This initiative recognizes the need to reduce methane emissions and their impact on climate change.
In conclusion, methane flaring is a practice that can result in the waste of propellant, as seen in SpaceX's efforts to reduce methane loss during testing. Additionally, the release of methane into the atmosphere contributes to global warming and climate change. By addressing this issue and developing new technologies, SpaceX and other organizations are working towards minimizing methane waste and emissions, contributing to a more sustainable future for rocket travel and energy production.
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Lunar missions: HLS Starship needs full fuel
The Starship HLS (Human Landing System) is a lunar lander variant of the Starship spacecraft designed to transport astronauts from a lunar orbit to the Moon's surface and back. The HLS is being developed by SpaceX under NASA's Human Landing System contract as a critical element of NASA's Artemis program to land a crew on the Moon.
The success of the HLS program hinges on the Starship's payload capacity. The current iteration of the Starship can store 1,200 tons of liquid methane and liquid oxygen in its propellant tanks. However, due to its high dry (unfueled) mass, the Starship HLS cannot reach the Moon without first refuelling in LEO (Low Earth Orbit). To complete the Artemis 3 mission, SpaceX must implement orbital refuelling on a large scale. Before each Artemis mission, a group of reusable Starship tankers will transfer liquid oxygen and liquid methane to an orbiting propellant depot. The lunar lander will then launch, refuel at the depot, and continue to the Moon.
According to one source, a fully fuelled Starship can go from LEO to NRHO (Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit) and back to LEO without needing to refuel, assuming it carries only a modest payload. However, this does not include enough propellant for landing on the Moon and taking off again. Another source estimates that 450 tons of propellant are needed to get a 120-ton Starship to the lunar surface from NRHO and back.
Elon Musk has stated that the performance of the Starship rocket is currently 50% below expectations. If this issue is not addressed, it could prevent the Starship from landing NASA astronauts on the Moon during the Artemis 3 mission. SpaceX plans to address this shortfall with upgraded variants of the Starship and its Raptor engine.
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Falcon 9 engines: Throttled near first-stage flight end
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is powered by nine Merlin engines, which use rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen as propellants. These engines are throttled near the end of the first-stage flight to limit the launch vehicle's acceleration as the rocket's mass decreases with the burning of fuel. This process is crucial for controlling the rocket's speed and ensuring a safe re-entry into the atmosphere.
The Merlin engines are not the only ones used in the Falcon 9 rocket. The second stage is powered by a single Merlin Vacuum Engine, which has a larger exhaust section and a significantly larger expansion nozzle to maximize efficiency in the vacuum of space. This engine is responsible for delivering payloads to their desired orbits and can be restarted multiple times to place multiple payloads into different orbits.
The Dragon spacecraft, used in conjunction with the Falcon 9 rocket, also utilizes Draco and SuperDraco engines. The Draco engines are hypergolic liquid-propellant rocket engines that generate 400 newtons (90 lbf) of thrust. They are used as Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters on the Dragon spacecraft and the Falcon 9 second stage. On the other hand, the SuperDraco engines are storable-propellant hypergolic engines that generate 67,000 newtons (15,000 lbf) of thrust, making them the third most powerful engine developed by SpaceX.
The ability to throttle the Falcon 9 engines is a critical aspect of the rocket's design. During the steep ascent phase of the flight, the engines are throttled up to the highest extent possible to reduce gravity losses. However, they must be throttled down during at least two points: when the Falcon passes through Maximum Aerodynamic Pressure (Max-Q) and near the end of the first-stage flight. Throttling down during Max-Q is necessary to reduce the strain on the vehicle caused by a combination of atmospheric density and velocity.
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Frequently asked questions
The cost to fill a Falcon 9 is around $150,000, with the price of RP-1 fuel at around 70 cents per kilogram.
The Falcon 9 rocket uses about 147,000 kg of RP-1 rocket fuel and 341,000 kg of liquid oxygen, with around 80% used in the first stage and the rest in the second stage.
SpaceX uses liquid oxygen and a refined kerosene called RP-1 as rocket propellants in a gas-generator power cycle.
