combustion
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NASA’s Detonation Engine Revs Up for 4 Minutes in Breakthrough Test
NASA just put its new propulsion system to the test, powering a 3D-printed rotating detonation rocket engine for a sustained burn that lasted three times as long as the first test. The Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine, or RDRE, produced more than 5,800 pounds of thrust for a total of 251 seconds (a little longer than…
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Watch What Happens When You Ignite Methane With A Laser
Setting fire to things isn’t in and of itself science. But if you record it using schlieren photography at 10,000 frames per second — as in this video of laser-ignited methane — then it’s getting closer.