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I was interested to learn that RP-1 is at least sometimes dyed to a red color. What is the reason for doing this / what benefit does it give compared to leaving it the usual hydrocarbon clear-to-yel …

a rocket-spec version of the fuel. … You may wish to read my answer What actually is RP-1, and how is it different from any other hydrocarbon liquid fuel?, which explains a bit more about the development of RP-1. …

For many trajectories using engines with moderate ISP such as chemical or nuclear-thermal rockets, the exhaust velocity vector of various space operations is such that the rocket exhaust will end up i …

Related: Is there some fundamental limitation that would prevent steam-powered rockets from reaching space? Thermal rockets, including nuclear thermal rockets, work best with minimal molecular weight …

While this doesn't look like a high performance fuel, it seems like it would be pretty good from the standpoint of safety. … (I'm specifically interested in cases like RCS thrusters and orbital maneuvering thrusters where liquid-fuel levels of controllability are necessary.) …

Sadly, all the "good" (storable, hypergolic, and having good performance) rocket fuels and oxidizers -- Hydrazine, methylated hydrazine, nitrogen tetroxide, and fuming nitric acid -- are highly toxic. …

In Ignition, Clark describes an interesting approach to thermal control in rocket engines using oxygen as an oxidizer and hydrocarbon fuel: A small amount (few percent) of silicone oil or another silicon-bearing … flammable chemical was mixed with the fuel, which would lay down a thermally-insulating layer of quartz on the inside of the engine. …

While it isn't precisely space exploration per se, John Clark mentions this being important in Ignition for missiles, especially in cases when it is desired to meet a performance goal while having a m …

Most commercial commodity specifications for hydrocarbons such as gasoline, kerosene, Diesel fuel, jet fuel, naptha, mineral spirits, etc are fairly broad. … Eventually it was decided to create a spec for hydrocarbon rocket fuel that would be usable as jet fuel as well, even if most jet fuel wasn't usable for rockets. …

region, and of course the surface area of the fuel grain (which will change as it burns for most fuel grain geometries). … of the fuel, or to blow most of your fuel unburned and partially burned out the rocket. …

Related: Russian "kerosene" versus American "RP-1", however that's more about the details of specific rocket kerosene specs than rocket kerosene in the context of hydrocarbon and petroleum fuel in general … It's well known that RP-1 is a particular specification for refined kerosene, but what actually is it and how is it distinguished from any other liquid hydrocarbon fuel? …

Sadly, all of the currently commonly used chemical rocket fuels that are either hypergolic or storable are horribly toxic/corrosive/explosive. RP-1 is so safe you can pour it out of a gas can, but cry …

the fuel lines and setting off the whole tank. … (Detonation arrestors exist, but they don't save your engine and fuel lines from being rapidly disassembled, nor do they protect your tanks from shrapnel, as Clarke learned). …