Question

Which fuel is used in rocket propulsion?

Answer 1

There are two main types of rocket fuel used on modern rockets: liquid and solid. Liquid propellants separate fuel and oxidisers and the two are combined in a combustion chamber where they burn and are fired out from the base of the rocket.More complex than solid fuel, the ability to control the flow of propellant means the engine can be throttled to a particular speed. Liquid fuels are further subcategorised into either petroleum, cryogens or hypergols. Petroleum is a fuel derived from crude oil and hydrocarbons, cryogens are those stored at very low temperatures (such as liquid hydrogen), while hypergols are able to self-ignite on contact between the fuel and the oxidiser.