Four models served as a reference: the Saturn V, used by NASA between 1967 and 1973; the Space Shuttle, a space vehicle “retired” in 2011; SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy; and the Space Launch System (SLS), still in development. The colors identify the fuels used: red indicates kerosene RP-1, similar to that of airplanes; orange is liquid hydrogen, which is common in space rockets and which first cools the “beak” and is then ignited by oxidants; and blue represents liquid oxygen. For example, SLS will use a combination of the latter two to produce a massive amount of energy and water. See the simulation:
Developed solutions It is not surprising that there is a need for a giant tank for these fuels. Even so, designers managed to get around the situation and developed two “reinforcements” to reduce the size of the equipment. Since burning kerosene releases high amounts of carbon dioxide, refined solutions like RP-1 can lessen the environmental impact during SpaceX launch projects, which are expected to occur every two weeks.
