PROPELLANT FOR LIQUID-PROPELLANT ROCKET ENGINES Russian patent published in 2002 - IPC

FIELD: spacecraft. SUBSTANCE: propellant for liquid-propellant rocket engines used in cryogenic stages of spacecraft and launch vehicles has methane-based propellant and oxidizer. Mixture of methane and ethylene, mole content of methane from 5 to 25%, is used as propellant. Use of proposed propellant in medium class launch vehicles, capacity 300 t, makes it possible to reduce mass of launch vehicle, as compared with vehicles operating on methane + oxygen propellant, by app. 2%, which is equivalent to increase of mass of injected payload by app. 6.5%. Mass of injected payload is increased by app. 7.5%, as compared with vehicles operating on kerosene+oxygen propellant. EFFECT: increased mass of injected payload.