Jones Beene wrote:
The father of rocketry, Robert Goddard was issued his two most important patents in 1914, The first, Patent No. 1,102,653, issued described a multi-stage rocket. The second, 1,103,503, described a rocket fueled with gasoline and liquid nitrous oxide.
Note that some modern rockets use nitrous oxide in rubber, rather than the liquid form. The rubber (HTBT) is the fuel and the nitrous oxide is the oxidizer. Researchers at Hokkaido University are also developing small rockets with this. It is safer than other rocket fuels because it cannot explode, it is stable, and it is less toxic than most rocket fuels (other than liquid hydrogen and oxygen).
- Jed
