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Why does a shuttle of a rocket needs to have a tank containing oxygen?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
While oxygen itself is not flammable, oxygen readily supports combustion. Adding oxygen to a flammable material will cause it to burn much faster and much hotter. You can see this demonstrated very easily by watching a welder at work. The welder uses acetyline as the flammable and by adding oxygen the acetyline becomes hot enough to weld or even cut metal. When the acetyline runs out the oxygen itself does not burn.
Now back to the shuttle. By mixing liquid oxygen with the booster fuel they can get a much hotter and faster burn creating much more power from the amount of fuel they have on hand. Liquid oxygen is used because you can carry a much larger amount. One gallon of liquid oxygen expands to enough gas when as it vaporises to replace several cylinders.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
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Where does the oxygen come from in a rocket?
Since there is no significant amount of oxygen in outer space, the rocket has to take all the oxygen it needs with it.
Why does a rocket carry its own oxygen?
There is no air, and thus no oxygen, in outer space, so the rocket needs to bring its own oxygen to burn its fuel.
Compare the the Saturn V rocket to Space Shuttle Why can't the shuttle travel to the moon?
The space shuttle was never designed to fly to the moon. The booster rocket for the shuttle did not have enough power to fly to the moon, as it was designed to launch the shuttle into low earth orbit. To enter Earth orbit a spacecraft needs to go 17,500 mph. To climb out of Earth's gravity well and fly to the moon, a spacecraft needs to go 24,000 mph. While those numbers seem close, they are not when it comes to rocket power. The shuttle would have needed many thousands of pounds more rocket fuel to launch to the moon and even more to turn around and come back home. The shuttle couldn't fly to the moon because it was never designed to do so. The Saturn V, on the other hand, was.
How does the Space Shuttle take off?
Space shuttles took of vertically, attached to an external fuel tank and two solid rocket boosters (SRBs).A space shuttle takes off by burning fuel at very high temperatures and this provides lift. The rocket needs to carry extra tanks of fuel for it to provide the combustion for a reasonable amount of time until the shuttle gets into orbit.
What is the ice that falls off a rocket on launch?
Ice accumulates on the (orange-brown) external fuel tank for the Space Shuttle because it contains very cold liquid hydrogen and oxygen (fuel for the shuttle engines). Although the tank has foam insulation, it needs to be lightweight and so it can only be partially effective in preventing condensation. Water condenses out of the air and freezes in some locations around the fuel tank.
Where does the oxygen come from in a rocket?
Since there is no significant amount of oxygen in outer space, the rocket has to take all the oxygen it needs with it.
How do rocket can work in earth's atmosphere and outer space?
simple rocket science...the fuel tank on a space shuttle carries it's own oxygen in a separate hull NEXT to the actual fuel (hydrogen) tank which allows the fuel to burn, as there is no oxygen in the vacuum of space, and fire, of course, needs plenty of oxygen...
Why does a rocket carry its own oxygen?
There is no air, and thus no oxygen, in outer space, so the rocket needs to bring its own oxygen to burn its fuel.
Compare the the Saturn V rocket to Space Shuttle Why can't the shuttle travel to the moon?
The space shuttle was never designed to fly to the moon. The booster rocket for the shuttle did not have enough power to fly to the moon, as it was designed to launch the shuttle into low earth orbit. To enter Earth orbit a spacecraft needs to go 17,500 mph. To climb out of Earth's gravity well and fly to the moon, a spacecraft needs to go 24,000 mph. While those numbers seem close, they are not when it comes to rocket power. The shuttle would have needed many thousands of pounds more rocket fuel to launch to the moon and even more to turn around and come back home. The shuttle couldn't fly to the moon because it was never designed to do so. The Saturn V, on the other hand, was.
What needs to be burnt with oxygen in a rocket motor?
Fuel : for example - kerosene (= jet fuel), alcohol, hydrogen.
How does the Space Shuttle take off?
Space shuttles took of vertically, attached to an external fuel tank and two solid rocket boosters (SRBs).A space shuttle takes off by burning fuel at very high temperatures and this provides lift. The rocket needs to carry extra tanks of fuel for it to provide the combustion for a reasonable amount of time until the shuttle gets into orbit.
What is the ice that falls off a rocket on launch?
Ice accumulates on the (orange-brown) external fuel tank for the Space Shuttle because it contains very cold liquid hydrogen and oxygen (fuel for the shuttle engines). Although the tank has foam insulation, it needs to be lightweight and so it can only be partially effective in preventing condensation. Water condenses out of the air and freezes in some locations around the fuel tank.
What is the difference in propultion between an airplane a spacecraft?
A spacecraft need a rocket engine (which is powered by on-board oxygen and fuel) to propel itself, an airplane only needs a jet engine (which only needs on-board fuel as it uses oxygen form the air).
Can you start a fire in space?
Burning requires a flammable material and oxygen as well as a heat source. Rocket fuel will burn in space because it contains its own oxygen. Applying a heat source will ignite rocket fuel. A fuel such as gasoline will not burn in space as there is no oxygen present.
What is the difference between rocket flight and airplane flight?
A plane needs air, a rocket doesn't.
What are two uses of oxygen?
two uses for oxygen can be either the obvious to breathe or you can say oxygen can be used to make the production of steel, plastics, textiles, rocket repelant it can also be used for oxygen therapy and life support in aircraft, submarines, spaceflight and diving.......... hope that helps two uses for oxygen can be either the obvious to breathe or you can say oxygen can be used to make the production of steel, plastics, textiles, rocket repelant it can also be used for oxygen therapy and life support in aircraft, submarines, spaceflight and diving.......... hope that helps
When fire needs oxygen to burn then how the fire in the rocket burns in space?
Fire does indeed need oxygen to burn in the presence of atmospheric air on Earth. However, the fire in a rocket burning in space is different from the typical combustion that occurs on Earth. The flames we see when something burns on Earth are the result of combustion involving oxygen from the surrounding air. In space, there is no atmospheric air, and therefore no free oxygen available for combustion. So, if you were to light a match or a candle in the vacuum of space, it wouldn't produce a flame as we know it on Earth. However, rockets are equipped with their own oxidizers, which are substances that provide the necessary oxygen to support combustion. The most common rocket fuel used is a combination of liquid or solid fuel and an oxidizer, such as liquid oxygen (LOX), liquid hydrogen, or solid propellants. In the case of liquid oxygen, it is stored onboard the rocket in a separate tank from the fuel. When the rocket engines are ignited, the fuel and oxidizer are mixed and ignited together in a controlled manner. This chemical reaction releases a large amount of energy, creating hot gases that are expelled through the rocket's nozzles at high speeds, providing the necessary thrust for the rocket to move forward. Since rockets carry their own oxidizers and don't rely on atmospheric oxygen, they can operate in the vacuum of space, where there is no air or atmosphere. This allows them to travel beyond Earth's atmosphere and into space.
