Kerosene/LOX US LVs

[edkyle99]

With Firefly Alpha's Flight 3 success, the U.S. now has three working all-kerosene/LOX orbital launch vehicles:  Alpha, Falcon 9, and Falcon Heavy.  It recently lost two from that list:  Astra Rocket 3 and Virgin Orbit LauncherOne. 

Prior to 2006, the only all-kerosene/LOX US orbital launches were by a handful of Atlas rockets that reached LEO (SCORE, Mercury-Atlas, and Atlas ATDA).  Then SpaceX launched Falcon 1. 

Currently, Firefly plans an all-kerosene/LOX MLV while Astra may one day fly an all kerosene/LOX Rocket 4, but the prospect of once again seeing five active U.S. all-kerolox rockets seems unlikely.

 - Ed Kyle

[Vahe231991]

One day, the US oil industry could tap into oil reserves in Colorado (home of ULA), Texas and New Mexico, so that whatever additional oil is extracted from those reserves is used to produce kerosene for additional Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.

[Robotbeat]

With Firefly Alpha's Flight 3 success, the U.S. now has three working all-kerosene/LOX orbital launch vehicles:  Alpha, Falcon 9, and Falcon Heavy.  It recently lost two from that list:  Astra Rocket 3 and Virgin Orbit LauncherOne. 

Prior to 2006, the only all-kerosene/LOX US orbital launches were by a handful of Atlas rockets that reached LEO (SCORE, Mercury-Atlas, and Atlas ATDA).  Then SpaceX launched Falcon 1. 

Currently, Firefly plans an all-kerosene/LOX MLV while Astra may one day fly an all kerosene/LOX Rocket 4, but the prospect of once again seeing five active U.S. all-kerolox rockets seems unlikely.

 - Ed Kyle

ABL. everyone always forgets about them lol

[edkyle99]

ABL. everyone always forgets about them lol

Yes.  I did forget, but I was thinking more about launch vehicles that have made orbit!  Hope to see them try again.

 - Ed Kyle

[Robotbeat]

ABL. everyone always forgets about them lol

Yes.  I did forget, but I was thinking more about launch vehicles that have made orbit!

 - Ed Kyle

Was thinking of your last paragraph.

[redneck]

It was odd to me that the higher thrust/weight of the vac  Merlin potentially allows it to match capabilities with the higher Isp vac Raptor in some configurations. Reuse not being one of them if the methane allows much more rapid turnaround.

[AmigaClone]

I would add Rocketlab's Electron to that list since legally Rocketlab is a US company. Note that would only apply to missions without a kickstage.

[Robotbeat]

I would add Rocketlab's Electron to that list since legally Rocketlab is a US company. Note that would only apply to missions without a kickstage.

I think at first that electron was mostly a New Zealand rocket but it is increasingly being manufactured in the US. So it’s probably just as United States as atlas five or something

[edkyle99]

Electron is still a New Zealand built and operated rocket in my book.  Has a few U.S. built parts, like SLS and Atlas 5/Vulcan have some parts from Europe and Alpha maybe has some parts from Ukraine, etc.  See "When the Heavens went on Sale" for details.  Regardless, the hypergolic third Kick Stage has been used on every successful mission, and maybe was even there unmentioned during the failed inaugural flight.

 - Ed Kyle

[Hog]

One day, the US oil industry could tap into oil reserves in Colorado (home of ULA), Texas and New Mexico, so that whatever additional oil is extracted from those reserves is used to produce kerosene for additional Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.

What is special about those 3 states petroleum reserves, are they especially RP-1 production friendly? 

[Vahe231991]

One day, the US oil industry could tap into oil reserves in Colorado (home of ULA), Texas and New Mexico, so that whatever additional oil is extracted from those reserves is used to produce kerosene for additional Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.

What is special about those 3 states petroleum reserves, are they especially RP-1 production friendly?

Texas has an oil refinery in Houston for processing kerosene, and the oil refinery in Commerce City, Colorado processes kerosene, so the extraction of oil from Colorado and refinement into rocket kerosene by the oil refinery in Commerce City for use in future Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches could specially help reduce the average price of oil in Colorado.

[Jim]

One day, the US oil industry could tap into oil reserves in Colorado (home of ULA), Texas and New Mexico, so that whatever additional oil is extracted from those reserves is used to produce kerosene for additional Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.

Meaningless post.  The source of the oil doesn't matter, it is the refining.

[Jim]

One day, the US oil industry could tap into oil reserves in Colorado (home of ULA), Texas and New Mexico, so that whatever additional oil is extracted from those reserves is used to produce kerosene for additional Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.

What is special about those 3 states petroleum reserves, are they especially RP-1 production friendly?

Texas has an oil refinery in Houston for processing kerosene, and the oil refinery in Commerce City, Colorado processes kerosene, so the extraction of oil from Colorado and refinement into rocket kerosene by the oil refinery in Commerce City for use in future Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches could specially help reduce the average price of oil in Colorado.

more nonsense.  The amount of kerosene used by SpaceX has little impact on the price of oil.

[Zed_Noir]

.....

Meaningless post.  The source of the oil doesn't matter, it is the refining.

Curious if there is more than one RP-1 kerosene refinery in existence?

[jimvela]

One day, the US oil industry could tap into oil reserves in Colorado (home of ULA), Texas and New Mexico, so that whatever additional oil is extracted from those reserves is used to produce kerosene for additional Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.

What is special about those 3 states petroleum reserves, are they especially RP-1 production friendly?

Texas has an oil refinery in Houston for processing kerosene, and the oil refinery in Commerce City, Colorado processes kerosene, so the extraction of oil from Colorado and refinement into rocket kerosene by the oil refinery in Commerce City for use in future Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches could specially help reduce the average price of oil in Colorado.

Chatbot nonsense