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Methalox

All articles tagged with #methalox

space6 hours ago•4 min saved

NASA Plans Large-Scale Methalox Explosions to Gauge Rocket Safety

NASA, with FAA and the U.S. Space Force, is conducting staged methalox (methane-oxygen) explosion tests at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida to measure blast effects and safety margins for future rockets. The program scales from 100 pounds of fuel in an initial test to 2,000 pounds with mixed liquids, and finally 20,000 pounds in a worst-case scenario, with the control room moved farther away for the final blast. SpaceX has done its own testing, but NASA is pursuing its independent data for safety and design insights.

via Jalopnik|

#blast-radius #florida #methalox

space3 days ago•7 min saved

NASA tests methane-oxygen blasts to map launch danger zones

NASA, Space Force, and the FAA are conducting controlled detonations of methane-oxygen (methalox) rocket fuel to measure blast effects and refine danger-area analyses as launches become more frequent. The program starts with baseline C-4 tests, adds unmixed methane/LOX tests, and will scale up to mixed-propellant explosions at progressively larger weights (from 2,000 to 20,000 pounds) to extrapolate hazards for huge rockets like SpaceX’s Starship, with findings guiding future site safety and operating procedures.

via Ars Technica|

#launch-safety #methalox #methane