SPECIFIC IMPULSE

Specific impulse is a very useful tool in rocket engine design. However, selecting a propellant with the highest specific impulse is not necessarily the best for a particular mission or application.

Often times, other factors, such as propellant temperature, production cost, or storage requirements may dictate a different fuel other than the one yielding the highest specific impulse.

Propellant Selection Criteria Flowchart
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Florida Space Research Institute ©2002