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Can Mankind Reach Space Using Steam Power? We’ll Find Out Soon
On November 17, 2020, during the Future of Rockets keynote, ARCA announced the EcoRocket, a two-stage orbital vehicle, with the first stage powered by 100% clean, water-based propellant.
The uprated current EcoRocket involves a three-stage design with the first two stages using the above-mentioned steam propulsion.
The first two stages are designed to reach space on steam-power only, while the third stage that ignites at space altitudes is using conventional “hot” polluting propulsion, similar to what everyone use.
But, while everyone is using hundreds and thousands of tons of polluting propellants like kerosene and methane, or even solid propellant which is toxic and carcinogenic, in the case of the EcoRocket, 90% of its propellant is clean, while only 10% is polluting and this 10% is used exclusively starting with space altitudes.
Beside providing a huge step forward in terms of environment protection, the EcoRocket design also promises a launch cost reduction between 10–20 times compared to the most cost effective current launchers.
The steam propulsion is not as efficient as the polluting and toxic propulsion methods, but we chose to give-up performance in exchange of extreme cost effectiveness and sustainability.
