Metallic hydrogen is great rocket fuel

If solid metallic hydrogen can be made in sufficient quantities, it can be used as the world’s most powerful rocket fuel.

When solid metallic hydrogen is burned, it is converted from a solid state back into hydrogen gas, and so, all the energy used to force the hydrogen to become a metal is released. So, the super light metal can produce much more force relative to weight than modern rocket fuels. Modern rockets are equipped with huge fuel tanks that they have to discard en route to shed weight. But with the more potent and light metallic hydrogen, future rockets will more easily be able to lift themselves into space with only one rocket stage, making space missions much less difficult and cheaper. On long space missions, a more energy- compact fuel also means that the rockets will be able to reach as much as 3.7 times further than existing fuels.

ROCKETS FLY LONGER ON ONE LITRE OF FUEL

Today, many rockets are powered by liquid hydrogen, and 1 kg of fuel produces an upwards force of 1 kg over 460 seconds, when the fuel is burned in the rocket engine. 1 kg of solid metallic hydrogen can produce a force of 1 kg for 1,700 seconds– almost four times as much.

The VentureStar was a one stage rocket, that was to be a cheaper alternative to the space shuttle. However, the project was abandoned shortly after its first flight. NASA