Once in the tanks and with the launch countdown nearing zero, the LH2 and LOX are pumped into the combustion chamber of each engine. What’s more, the cryogenic LH2 and LOX evaporate quickly at ambient pressure and temperature, meaning the rocket can’t be loaded with propellant until a few hours before launch. While that’s balmy compared to LH2, both propellant ingredients need special handling at these temperatures. To transform oxygen into its liquid state, it is cooled to a temperature of ‑297 degrees Fahrenheit (‑183 degrees Celsius). Oxygen Although it’s denser than hydrogen, oxygen also needs to be compressed into a liquid to fit in a smaller, lighter tank. This means cooling the hydrogen to a temperature of ‑423 degrees Fahrenheit (‑253 degrees Celsius). To get around this problem, turn the hydrogen gas into a liquid, which is denser than a gas. To have enough to power a large combustion reaction would require an incredibly large tank to hold it – the opposite of what’s needed for an aerodynamically designed launch vehicle. Gases – especially lightweight hydrogen – are low-density, which means a little of it takes up a lot of space. Hydrogen, the fuel for the main engines of rockets, is the lightest element and normally exists as a gas.
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