Meritorious methane
Propellant loading began on Thursday morning at approximately 8:35 a.m. ET, following a delay caused by boats loitering in restricted waters near the Boca Chica testing facility. The loading of 10 million pounds of methane and liquid oxygen propellant was, as usual, a cinch for SpaceX; rarely, if ever, does this fuel cause the company problems (in case you’re wondering, Falcon 9 runs on liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene). Contrast that with NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which runs on liquid hydrogen—a particularly difficult and volatile fuel to handle and a frequent cause of scrubs.
Related article: Why Hydrogen Leaks Continue to Be a Major Headache for NASA Launches
