sd455dan
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Sure hope that thing is tier 4 final!
Heh Heh, Nope...
Methalox has not been regulated on rocket emissions like diesels have been. from Quora:
It does burn relatively clean, and has several other advantages using methane vs. kerosene as rocket fuel
Though not as good as hydrogen, methane engines can produce more specific impulse than kerosene. This means more delta-v for the mass of fuel and engine. Methane is also far easier to handle and store than hydrogen.
Methane takes up much less volume than hydrogen, so the tanks can be smaller and lighter. It can be chilled before launch, causing it to shrink even further.
Methane is much cleaner burning than kerosene, eliminating problems with carbon deposits causing dangerous hot spots and blockages and greatly reducing the need for overhaul before reuse.
Methane can be made anywhere in space that power and common raw materials are available—including the surface of Mars.
Right now on Earth, methane is plentiful and cheap in the form of natural gas. In the future it will be made cheaply from solar power, water, and air.
The boiling point of oxygen and methane are close enough you can easily prevent one freezing the other with a little insulation. That’s not the case with hydrogen (which will freeze oxygen) or kerosene (which will be frozen by it).
These problems can be addressed with other fuels, but at the cost of extra weight.
Here is a Good video on rocket exhaust, including SpaceX
starts at point where the fuels are compared
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