Sylvie Willis
The cost of jet fuel for a space shuttle is a fascinating topic. To launch a space shuttle, a vast amount of fuel is required, and the costs can quickly add up. The space shuttle's main engine, for example, uses a mix of liquid hydrogen, oxygen, hydrazine, monomethylhydrazine, and nitrogen tetroxide, totalling around 835,958 gallons. The cost of this fuel is estimated to be approximately $1,380,000, which works out to about $0.85 per pound. The shuttle also has external fuel tanks that hold over half a million gallons of self-combustible liquid, and solid rocket boosters that provide 85% of the thrust needed for takeoff. As we will see, the cost of jet fuel is just one aspect of the complex economics of space travel.
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What You'll Learn
- The Space Shuttle's main engine uses 385,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen
- External fuel tank (ET) holds >500,000 gallons of self-combustible liquid
- Solid rocket boosters generate 85% of thrust needed for lift-off
- The total cost of fuel at liftoff is approximately $1,380,000
- The ET is the backbone of the shuttle, providing structural support
The Space Shuttle's main engine uses 385,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen
Liquid hydrogen is used as fuel because it is a very efficient fuel, providing better "gas mileage" when used in rocket engines. However, it is difficult to work with and there are easier-to-handle alternatives such as methane or kerosene. Hydrogen is the lightest element, and its small size means it can squeeze through tiny gaps. This caused issues with the Space Shuttle, as there were often leaks and other technical problems.
The total cost of the fuel for a Space Shuttle mission is approximately $1,380,000, with the fuel weighing a total of 1,607,185 pounds. This includes not only liquid hydrogen but also liquid oxygen, hydrazine, monomethylhydrazine, and nitrogen tetroxide. The external tank holds more than half a million gallons of this self-combustible liquid propellant mix.
The Space Shuttle's main engines are powered by the combustion of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The liquid hydrogen is kept in the aft liquid hydrogen (LH2) tank, which is the largest part of the ET but is relatively light due to liquid hydrogen's low density. The ET also has a vortex baffle in the LH2 tank to reduce swirl and prevent gases from becoming trapped in the liquid hydrogen.
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External fuel tank (ET) holds >500,000 gallons of self-combustible liquid
The Space Shuttle external tank (ET) is the component of the Space Shuttle launch vehicle that contains the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer. The ET is the largest element of the Space Shuttle and, when loaded, is also the heaviest. It is the "backbone" of the shuttle during launch, providing structural support for attachment with the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) and the orbiter.
The ET consists of three major components: the forward liquid oxygen (LOX) tank, the liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen intertank, and the aft liquid hydrogen (LH2) tank. The LH2 tank is the largest part, but it is relatively light due to liquid hydrogen's very low density. The ET also has electrical umbilicals that carry electrical power from the orbiter to the tank and the SRBs, as well as provide information from the SRBs and ET to the orbiter.
The ET is jettisoned just over 10 seconds after the main engine cut-off (MECO) and it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere. Unlike the Solid Rocket Boosters, external tanks are not reused. They break up before impact in the Indian Ocean (or the Pacific Ocean in the case of direct-insertion launch trajectories) and are not recovered.
The first two tanks, used for STS-1 and STS-2, were painted white to protect them from ultraviolet light during the extended time that the shuttle spent on the launch pad prior to launch. However, it was later determined that the paint did not actually protect the foam. Beginning with STS-3, the rust-colored spray-on insulation was left unpainted, saving approximately 600 lb.
The original ET is informally known as the Standard Weight Tank (SWT) and was fabricated from 2219 aluminum alloy, a high-strength aluminum-copper alloy used for many aerospace applications. The SWT weighed approximately 77,000 lb (35,000 kg) inert. After STS-4, several hundred pounds were eliminated by deleting the anti-geyser line, which paralleled the oxygen feed line and provided a circulation path for liquid oxygen.
The Super Lightweight Tank (SLWT) was first flown in 1998 on STS-91 and was used for all subsequent missions with two exceptions (STS-99 and STS-97). The SLWT had basically the same design as the LWT but used an aluminium-lithium alloy (Al 2195) for a large part of the tank structure, providing a significant reduction in weight.
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Solid rocket boosters generate 85% of thrust needed for lift-off
The Space Shuttle consists of three main parts: an orbiter that holds the crew, payload, and three main engines; an external fuel tank that holds more than half a million gallons of self-combustible liquid; and two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs). These boosters are responsible for generating 85% of the thrust needed for lift-off. Each SRB has a liftoff thrust of approximately 12 meganewtons (2,800,000 pounds-force) at sea level, increasing shortly after liftoff to 14.7 MN (3,300,000 lbf).
The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters are the first solid-propellant rockets to be used for primary propulsion on a vehicle used for human spaceflight. They are the largest solid-propellant motors ever flown and the first of such large rockets designed for reuse. The SRBs are about 149.16 ft (45.46 m) long and 12.17 ft (3.71 m) in diameter, weighing approximately 1,300,000 lb (590 t) at launch. The primary propellants used in the boosters are ammonium perchlorate as the oxidizer, along with aluminum powder and PBAN as fuel. The boosters are composed of seven individually manufactured steel segments.
The two SRBs are ignited after the three RS-25 main engines' thrust level is verified. They burn for about two minutes, after which they are jettisoned and parachuted into the Atlantic Ocean to be recovered, examined, refurbished, and reused. The boosters provide the main thrust to lift the shuttle off the launch pad and up to an altitude of about 150,000 ft (28 mi/46 km).
Solid rocket boosters have proven to be a reliable and cost-effective way of getting launch vehicles into Low Earth Orbit. They provide greater thrust without significant refrigeration and insulation requirements, and they have a superior thrust-to-weight ratio compared to liquid propellant boosters. However, they also come with some significant dangers that make them less safe than liquid propellant rockets. Solid propellant boosters, for example, are not controllable and must generally burn until exhaustion after ignition.
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The total cost of fuel at liftoff is approximately $1,380,000
The total cost of fuel at liftoff for a space shuttle is approximately $1,380,000. This figure is based on the cost of the liquid propellants used, which include hydrogen, oxygen, hydrazine, monomethylhydrazine, and nitrogen tetroxide. The space shuttle's main engines use a significant amount of fuel, with the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks holding 385,000 and 143,000 gallons of fuel, respectively.
The external tank (ET) is an essential component of the space shuttle launch vehicle, providing structural support and housing the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer. The ET is the largest and heaviest element of the space shuttle when loaded. It consists of three major components, including the aft liquid hydrogen tank, which is the largest but relatively light due to liquid hydrogen's low density.
The external tank also plays a crucial role in supplying fuel and oxidizer under pressure to the RS-25 main engines during lift-off and ascent. Unfortunately, these external tanks are not reusable and break up before impacting the Indian or Pacific Ocean, away from shipping lanes.
The space shuttle also relies on two "solid rocket boosters" that provide 85% of the thrust needed for liftoff. These boosters have a combined weight of two million pounds and are reusable, as they are fished out of the ocean after they drop away from the shuttle two minutes into the launch.
While the cost of fuel for a space shuttle liftoff is substantial, it is important to note that the shuttle's fuel load must be much heavier than that of an airplane to achieve its agenda of leaving the Earth's atmosphere. Additionally, the shuttle can utilize atmospheric friction to glide back to Earth unpowered, reducing the amount of fuel needed for the return journey.
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The ET is the backbone of the shuttle, providing structural support
The cost of jet fuel for the space shuttle is not a fixed amount, as it depends on the total weight of the fuel. According to a NASA fact sheet, the total fuel cost for a space shuttle at liftoff is approximately $1,380,000, with a total weight of 1,607,185 pounds. This equates to around $0.85 per pound of fuel.
Now, onto the ET, or the external tank, which is the backbone of the shuttle, providing structural support. The ET is the largest element of the Space Shuttle and the only non-reusable component. It is also the heaviest when loaded. The ET carries the liquid fuel that powers the Orbiter's three main engines. The tank absorbs the total thrust loads of the three main engines and two solid rocket motors.
The ET provides the structural support that facilitates the attachment of the solid rocket boosters (SRBs) and the orbiter. It connects to the SRBs at one forward attachment point and one aft bracket. With the orbiter, it connects at one forward attachment bipod and two aft bipods. The ET also has umbilicals that carry fluids, gases, electrical signals, and electrical power between the orbiter and the tank.
The ET is jettisoned just over ten seconds after the main engine is cut off. It re-enters the Earth's atmosphere and breaks up before impact in the Indian Ocean or the Pacific Ocean, away from shipping lanes. The ET is not recovered or reused.
The first two tanks, used for STS-1 and STS-2, were painted white to protect them from ultraviolet light damage while on the launchpad. However, it was later determined that the paint did not offer protection, and subsequent tanks were left unpainted to reduce weight.
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Frequently asked questions
A space shuttle's external tank (ET) holds more than half a million gallons of self-combustible liquid fuel. The main engine uses 385,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and 143,000 gallons of liquid oxygen.
The total cost of fuel for a space shuttle is approximately $1,380,000. This includes the cost of liquid hydrogen, oxygen, hydrazine, monomethylhydrazine, and nitrogen tetroxide.
The ET is the largest and heaviest component of the space shuttle. It provides structural support and contains the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer. It also supplies fuel and oxidizer to the main engines during lift-off and ascent.
No, the external tanks are not reused. They are jettisoned after main engine cut-off and break up before impacting the Indian or Pacific Ocean.
