Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2023 April 6
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                           Terran 1 Burns Methalox
                 Image Credit: [3]Relativity / [4]John Kraus

   Explanation: [5]Relativity's Terran 1 Rocket is mostly 3D-printed. It
   burns a cryogenic rocket fuel composed of liquid methane and liquid
   oxygen (methalox). In this close-up of a [6]Terran 1 launch on the
   night of March 22 from Cape Canaveral, icy chunks fall through the
   stunning frame as intense blue exhaust streams from its nine Aeon 1
   engines. In a largely successful flight [7]the inovative rocket
   achieved main engine cutoff and stage separation but fell short of
   orbit after an anomaly at the beginning of its second stage flight. Of
   course this Terran 1 rocket was never intended to [8]travel to Mars.
   Still, the methane and liquid oxygen components of its [9]methalox fuel
   can be made solely from materials found on the Red Planet. [10]Methalox
   manufactured on Mars could be used as fuel for rockets returning to
   planet Earth.

                       Tomorrow's picture: Rigel wide
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    Authors & editors: [22]Robert Nemiroff ([23]MTU) & [24]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([25]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [26]Specific rights apply.
              [27]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [28]ASD at [29]NASA / [30]GSFC,
                         [31]NASA Science Activation
                           & [32]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2304/2023-03-22_Terran-1-GLHF_Kraus_Res-2048px_3849.jpg
   3. https://www.relativityspace.com/
   4. https://www.johnkrausphotos.com/
   5. https://www.relativityspace.com/rockets
   6. https://www.relativityspace.com/
   7. https://www.universetoday.com/160699/success-and-failure-relativity-space-launches-its-terran-1-but-the-rocket-fails-to-reach-orbit-however-the-launch-photos-are-incredible/
   8. https://mars.nasa.gov/
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_rocket_propellant#Methane
  10. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/releases/2015/nasa-tests-methane-powered-engine-components-for-next-generation-landers.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230405.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  15. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  20. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230406
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230407.html
  22. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  25. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  27. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  28. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  31. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  32. http://www.mtu.edu/