Why do rockets use liquid instead of solid fuel?

Advantages. Liquid-fueled rockets have higher specific impulse than solid rockets and are capable of being throttled, shut down, and restarted. Only the combustion chamber of a liquid-fueled rocket needs to withstand high combustion pressures and temperatures.

What is the difference between solid propellant rockets and liquid propellant rockets?

Liquid-fuel rockets consist of a fuel and oxygen (or other oxidizer) in liquid state. They are combined in a combustion chamber and ignited. Solid-fuel rockets consist of a fuel and oxidizer that are pre-mixed in a solid form. Once the solid fuel is ignited, the resulting thrust cannot be regulated or turned off.

Why is solid propellant not used in launching a rocket?

It is because of explosive hazard that the higher energy military solid propellants containing HMX are not used in commercial launch vehicles except when the LV is an adapted ballistic missile already containing HMX propellant (Minotaur IV and V based on the retired Peacekeeper ICBMs).

What are liquid propellant rocket used for?

Liquid rocket engines are used on the Space Shuttle to place humans in orbit, on many un-manned missiles to place satellites in orbit, and on several high speed research aircraft following World War II.

What are advantages of liquid fuel?

Advantages of liquid fuels : They possess higher calorific value per unit mass than solid fuels. They burn without forming dust, ash, clinkers etc. Their firing is easier and also fire can be extinguished easily by stopping the liquid fuel supply. They are easy to transport through pipes.

What is the liquid fuel used in rocket engines?

liquid hydrogen
In combination with an oxidizer such as liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen yields the highest specific impulse, or efficiency in relation to the amount of propellant consumed, of any known rocket propellant.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of solid propellant rocket?

They are relatively insensitive to shock, vibration and acceleration. No propellant pumps are required thus the rocket engines are less complicated. Disadvantages are that, once ignited, solid propellants cannot be throttled, turned off and then restarted because they burn until all the propellant is used.