Regan Brown
The amount of fuel used by a space shuttle per second is a fascinating topic, and one that is not easily answered. The space shuttle is a complex system with many components, and its fuel usage depends on various factors such as the stage of the shuttle's journey and the specific engines and fuels used. To make things even more complex, the shuttle's fuel tanks are external, and the fuel is burned by the shuttle's main engines.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total fuel used by the Space Shuttle | 3,821,722 lb (1,735,601 kg) |
| Fuel used by the two solid rocket boosters | 1,000,000 kg (2,204,623 lb) |
| Fuel used by the external tank | 629,340 kg (1,387,457 lb) |
| Fuel used by the orbiter's three main engines | 385,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and 143,000 gallons of liquid oxygen |
| Fuel used per second | Varies depending on the stage of the launch and the type of rocket |
| Percentage of fuel used by the solid rocket boosters | 83% |
| Percentage of fuel used by the orbiter's three main engines | 17% |
| Fuel remaining after reaching orbit | 10% |
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What You'll Learn
- The Space Shuttle's main engine uses liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen
- The shuttle's external tank holds over half a million gallons of self-combustible liquid
- Solid rocket boosters provide 83% of liftoff thrust
- The shuttle's total fuel weighs 3,821,722 pounds
- The shuttle's main engines would drain an average family swimming pool in under 25 seconds
The Space Shuttle's main engine uses liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen
The Space Shuttle's main engines, known as the RS-25 or SSME, use liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen as propellants. The RS-25 engines are cryogenic rocket engines, which means they operate at extremely low temperatures. Each engine produces about 418,000 lbf of thrust at liftoff, and they are housed in the engine section at the base of the Space Shuttle.
The liquid hydrogen serves as the fuel, while the liquid oxygen acts as an oxidizer. The combination of these two substances provides the necessary energy for the Space Shuttle's main engines to function above the atmosphere. The liquid hydrogen is stored in the aft liquid hydrogen (LH2) tank, which is the largest part of the Space Shuttle's external tank (ET) but relatively light due to liquid hydrogen's low density. The ET also contains the liquid oxygen oxidizer, and during lift-off and ascent, it supplies the fuel and oxidizer under pressure to the three RS-25 main engines.
The mixing of the hot gases in the turbine section and the liquid oxygen in the main pump is carefully managed to prevent hazards. The two sections are separated by a cavity that is continuously purged with helium during engine operation, and two seals minimize leakage. The speed of the HPOTP and HPFTP turbines is controlled by the engine controller, which adjusts the liquid oxygen flow to throttle the engine and maintain a constant propellant mixture ratio.
The Space Shuttle's external tank is the largest and heaviest element of the shuttle when loaded. It holds more than half a million gallons of self-combustible liquid. After lift-off, the external tank is jettisoned just over ten seconds after main engine cut-off and re-enters the Earth's atmosphere, breaking up before impact in the Indian or Pacific Ocean.
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The shuttle's external tank holds over half a million gallons of self-combustible liquid
The Space Shuttle External Tank (ET) is a vital component of the Space Shuttle launch vehicle, supplying fuel and oxidizer to the three RS-25 main engines. It is the largest and heaviest element of the Space Shuttle when loaded. The ET is not reusable and breaks up before impact in the Indian or Pacific Ocean, away from shipping lanes.
The ET contains three tanks: one for liquid oxygen, one for housing electronics, and a large rear container for liquid hydrogen. The liquid oxygen must be kept at -183°C, while the hydrogen is kept at an even colder -253°C. The ET also serves as the structural backbone of the shuttle, providing support and attachment points for the orbiter and booster rockets.
The total capacity of the ET is impressive, holding over half a million gallons of self-combustible liquid. This includes approximately 385,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and 143,000 gallons of liquid oxygen. The engines consume a staggering amount of fuel, burning through more than 242,000 liters of propellant every minute during the eight-and-a-half-minute ride into space.
The ET weighs approximately 66,000 pounds when inert and contributes significantly to the shuttle's overall launch weight. The fuel itself accounts for about 25% of the shuttle's 4.4-million-pound launch weight. The ET is jettisoned when it is almost empty, about 10 seconds after the main engine cut-off, and it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere, disintegrating in the process.
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Solid rocket boosters provide 83% of liftoff thrust
The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) are an integral part of the NASA Space Transportation System (STS) vehicle, commonly referred to as the Space Shuttle. Each of the two SRBs provides 12.5 MN of thrust at liftoff, accounting for 83% of the total thrust required for the shuttle to reach orbit. These boosters are not only crucial for providing the necessary thrust but also play a structural role during the launch.
The SRBs are attached to the external tank, bearing its weight along with that of the orbiter. This weight is then transmitted through the boosters' structure to the mobile launcher platform. The boosters are ignited after verifying the thrust level of the three RS-25 main engines. The timing of this ignition sequence is critical for a successful liftoff and ascent flight. The explosive hold-down bolts help manage the dynamic loads and prevent the stack from tipping over due to the SSME ignition and thrust buildup.
Once the SRBs reach full thrust, the hold-down bolts are blown, releasing the vehicle stack, and the shuttle begins its ascent. The solid rocket boosters are not controllable once ignited and must burn until their propellant is exhausted. Each SRB burns for approximately 124 seconds, after which they are jettisoned at an altitude of about 45 km. The boosters then deploy parachutes and fall into the Atlantic Ocean for recovery and potential reuse.
The SRBs are the largest solid-propellant motors ever flown and were the first designed for reuse. They are composed of seven individually manufactured steel segments, with a total length of 45.46 m and a diameter of 3.71 m. The propellant mixture in the boosters consists of ammonium perchlorate as the oxidizer, aluminum as fuel, iron oxide as a catalyst, a polymer for binding and secondary fuel, and an epoxy curing agent.
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The shuttle's total fuel weighs 3,821,722 pounds
The total fuel weight of the Space Shuttle is a staggering 3,821,722 pounds. This figure includes the fuel in the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) and the external tank. The SRBs are crucial for providing the additional thrust needed for the Orbiter to escape Earth's gravity, and they burn for about two minutes, consuming an impressive 2,000,000 pounds of fuel.
Each of the two SRBs used by the Space Shuttle can hold about 1.1 million pounds of fuel. This fuel is a solid propellant cake composed of Ammonium Perchlorate Composite Propellant (APCP), which includes ammonium perchlorate, aluminium, iron oxide, PBAN or HTPB polymers, and an epoxy curing agent. The SRBs provide roughly 83% of the liftoff thrust for the Space Shuttle, making them essential for achieving orbit.
The external tank, or ET, serves as the "gas tank" for the Orbiter and provides the propellants used by the Space Shuttle Main Engines. It holds more than half a million gallons of self-combustible liquid, including liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. The liquid oxygen tank can hold 143,060 gallons, while the liquid hydrogen tank capacity is 383,066 gallons.
The total weight of the Space Shuttle at launch is approximately 4.5 million pounds, and the fuel alone weighs almost 20 times more than the shuttle itself. About six minutes after launch, the now-empty external tank drops off as the shuttle approaches orbital speed. By the time the shuttle reaches orbit, 90% of its launch mass has been left behind, demonstrating the massive fuel requirements for space travel.
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The shuttle's main engines would drain an average family swimming pool in under 25 seconds
The Space Shuttle's main engines use a lot of fuel—enough to drain an average family swimming pool in under 25 seconds. The Space Shuttle, which includes solid rocket boosters, uses a total of 3,821,722 lb (1,735,601 kg) of fuel. The two solid rocket boosters alone use 1,100,000 lb (500,000 kg) of fuel, providing 124 seconds of burn time.
The Space Shuttle's main engine, which must work above the atmosphere, uses 385,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and 143,000 gallons of liquid oxygen. That's a lot of fuel, and it's necessary to get the shuttle into low Earth orbit. In fact, by the time the shuttle reaches orbit, 90% of its launch mass has been left behind.
The shuttle's external tank holds more than half a million gallons of self-combustible liquid, and the two solid rocket boosters contain two million pounds of rubbery aluminium fuel. This fuel is necessary to generate the thrust needed to lift the shuttle off the pad.
While the Space Shuttle uses a lot of fuel, it's important to note that nearly all of the fuel is used. Any remaining fuel is necessary to keep the fuel and oxidiser sumps covered, as high-performance rocket engines ingesting gases instead of liquid fuel can lead to a rapid unplanned disassembly of the engine.
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Frequently asked questions
The space shuttle uses a combination of liquid fuel for the main engines and solid rocket boosters to lift off. The total mass of all propellants of the SRBs (stage 0) and the external tank (stage 1) was 1,735,601 kg or 3,821,722 lb at launch. The two solid rocket boosters provided 124 seconds of burn time. The main engine uses 385,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and 143,000 gallons of liquid oxygen.
The space shuttle has an immense external fuel tank that holds more than half a million gallons of self-combustible liquid.
The space shuttle uses the fuel in the external tank and the solid rocket boosters in the first phase. The two solid rocket boosters used roughly 500,000 kg or 1,100,000 lb of fuel.
The total amount of fuel burned by the space shuttle is 3,821,722 lb or 1,735,601 kg.
