Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, proposed a solution for NASA’s troubled Artemis mission that would finally put men on the lunar surface after decades. NASA once again canceled the unmanned Artemis 1 trip to the Moon. During the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket launch’s “rapid separation” phase, NASA engineers were unable to stop a hydrogen leak.
Any concentration of hydrogen exceeding 4% close to the “fast disconnect” is regarded as a flammability concern, according to Eric Berger of Ars Technica. NASA has a tolerance for a limited quantity of hydrogen leaking. ” Musk said, “Hydrogen (H2) was first used in the Raptor design before switching to CH4 (Methane).
The latter is, in my view, the ideal combination of high efficiency and simplicity of use.” Because the CH4 tank is significantly smaller and doesn’t need insulation, the delta-v difference between H2 and CH4 is minimal for the majority of missions, according to Musk.
The change in velocity that a rocket engine may impose on a spacecraft as a result of the unique impulse and the variance in the mass of the actual vehicle is known as the delta-v. He asserts that methane (CH4), which is simpler to manufacture on Mars, is “extremely critical” for launch missions. A pioneer in the use of liquid hydrogen and methane as fuel is SpaceX.
While his space business develops the Starship mega-rocket to carry passengers and freight to the moon, Mars, and beyond, Musk also envisions a self-sustaining metropolis on the Red Planet in 20 years. The NASA showstopper, so to the article “carried liquid hydrogen into the rocket on a line with an 8-inch diameter.
At the intake, it developed a quick-disconnect leak that persisted and allowed water into the car “. NASA’s next launch window will be from September 19 to October 4. The US Space Force, which runs the launch range along the Florida coast, would need to grant a waiver before the timeframe could be met, the article said. Between October 17 and October 31, the space agency will have a second chance to launch Artemis I.
Source: GadgetsNow