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The next steps are so close, yet so far.
Amateur rocketry has advanced significantly over the past decade, but further innovation is still required. The work is illimitable, yet incumbent. Current efforts aim to push the boundaries of propulsion systems and expand our understanding of aerospace engineering and the universe we live in - a journey worth continuing.
The two major types of these vehicles consist of both liquid, and solid propellant. A liquid-fueled rocket works by pumping liquid oxygen and fuel into a combustion chamber and igniting the mixture by a high electric voltage or adding a third chemical that immediately starts the engines. SpaceX uses a LOX (liquid oxygen) RP-1 (rocket-grade kerosene) mix and a dose of TEA-TEB (triethylaluminum and triethylborane ignition fluid) to ignite the nine Merlin engines on the Falcon 9 rocket. The engine uses the de Laval nozzle (or convergent–divergent nozzle) in order to increase thrust.
While liquid-fueled rockets can be throttled, it's become a common staple for NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) to use solid rocket boosters on many of their largest launch vehicles. A solid rocket booster works by the same principle as that of a liquid engine. Although while both possess oxygen and fuel, a solid booster has both in an already mixed state. During engine startup, the fuel mix ignites and goes through the convergent–divergent nozzle to increase the flow rate to nearly 4 times the speed of sound.
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