The key to high-energy stages was to use liquid hydrogen as the fuel. Liquid hydrogen fuel appealed to rocket designers because of its high specific impulse, which is a basic measure of rocket performance. Specific Impulse is the impulse delivered per unit of propellant consumed. You might think of it as the efficiency of the rocket. Compared to an RP-1 (kerosene) fueled engine of similar size, liquid hydrogen fuel could increase the specific impulse or efficiency of an engine by 40 percent. The combination of hydrogen and oxygen for propellants made the moon shot feasible.
Space Rocket History #117 – Apollo: Lunar Module Design
Space Rocket History #116 – Apollo: Little Joe II
Space Rocket History #115 – Saturn I: SA-4, SA-5, SA-6, and SA-7
Space Rocket History #114 – Apollo: Command Module Design and Development 1963-1964 Part 2
Space Rocket History #113 – Apollo: Command Module Design and Development 1963-1964
Space Rocket History #112 – Apollo: Headquarters
Space Rocket History #111 – Apollo: Early Lunar Module Design and Saturn SA-3”
Space Rocket History #110 – Early Apollo Command Module Design
Space Rocket History #109 – Apollo: The PSAC Strikes Back and Saturn SA-2
Space Rocket History #108 – Apollo: The Mode Decision – Part 3
Space Rocket History #107 – Apollo: The Mode Decision – Part 2
Space Rocket History #106 – Apollo: The Mode Decision – Part 1
Space Rocket History #105 – Saturn’s First Flight – SA-1 – Part 2
Space Rocket History #104 – Saturn’s First Flight – SA-1 – Part 1
Space Rocket History #101 – Apollo: Preliminary Design Part 2 – Mode, Command Module, and Astronavigation
Space Rocket History #102 – Apollo: Preliminary Design Part 3 – Command Module Contract, Mode, and Launch Vehicles
Space Rocket History #103 – Saturn Development 1957 – 1960
Space Rocket History #100 – Apollo: Preliminary Design
Space Rocket History #99 – Apollo: The Opposition
Space Rocket History #98 – Apollo Beginnings
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