人族一号燃烧液氧甲烷

2023年4月6日

Terran 1 Burns Methalox
Image Credit: Relativity / John Kraus

Explanation: Relativity’s Terran 1 Rocket is mostly 3D-printed. It burns a cryogenic rocket fuel composed of liquid methane and liquid oxygen (methalox). In this close-up of a Terran 1 launch on the night of March 22 from Cape Canaveral, icy chunks fall through the stunning frame as intense blue exhaust streams from its nine Aeon 1 engines. In a largely successful flight the inovative rocket achieved main engine cutoff and stage separation but fell short of orbit after an anomaly at the beginning of its second stage flight. Of course this Terran 1 rocket was never intended to travel to Mars. Still, the methane and liquid oxygen components of its methalox fuel can be made solely from materials found on the Red Planet. Methalox manufactured on Mars could be used as fuel for rockets returning to planet Earth.

Tomorrow’s picture: Rigel wide

人族一号燃烧液氧甲烷
影像提供: Relativity / John Kraus

说明: 相对论太空公司的人族1号火箭，应用大量3D打印组件进行建造，并使用低温甲烷液和氧液的混合液（ 液氧甲烷）作为推进燃料。在这幅3月22日摄于卡纳维拉尔角的人族1号火箭夜间发射之特写影像里，这艘火箭的9部Aeon 1引擎曳着明亮的蓝焰，此外，更有大量的冰块从中洒落。在此次基本算是成功的飞航里，这艘创新火箭完成主引擎关闭及推进级分离，但是第二级火箭发生初期异常，所以并未成功入轨。想当然耳，人族1号火箭从未打算前往火星。但所使用的液氧甲烷燃料之甲烷和液氧成分，可用在火星上找得到的材料制造出来。而在火星上制造的液氧甲烷，可供返回地球的火箭作为燃料。（Terran 1 rocket 人族1号火箭; Methalox 液氧甲烷）

明日的图片: Rigel wide