by rick m » Sat Oct 29, 2011 2:43 am
Hi Paul,
Using the six stage vehicle proposal we have:
propellant mass
1st stage 4,892.57
2nd stage 59.33
3rd stage 20.73
4th stage 7.24
5th stage 2.53
6th stage 0.88
total 4,983.28 pounds
We are currently paying about $2 a pound for our potassium nitrate (oxidizer) and $0.47 a pound for our sorbitol (fuel) with a 65/35 ratio. If we bought everything by the pallet we could bring the price down. When we get the 'sub-orbital' vehicle perfected, we plan on offering college and universities flights for their payloads in the $5,000 - $25,000 price range.
We once made rocket propellant out of wood pencil sharpener shavings soaked in a saturated solution of KNO3 that were then packed and dried. When NASA had money problems, and when don't they, my students suggested all the schools send NASA their shavings.
My afterschool rocket club students and I tried making propellants out of everything, ground up dry tree leaves, moldy hot dogs, you name it, we tried it.
Rick
Hard work is good for you, try it.